A Crimson Oath
by The Emperor's Empress
Summary: "Life? Death?" Golden eyes looked directly at heterochromatic ones. "It doesn't matter to me." She walked away, leaving a baffled Akashi Seijuurou behind her. As the Red Emperor tried to make her regain her humanity, he never expected falling in love with her. (Please read and review! Domo arigatou gozaimasu!)
1. Chapter 1

*** I. Don't Let Appearances Fool You ***

Black.

The same color, only a shade or two lighter. Not that many can actually tell the difference between the two. But that's it — the moment Akashi Seijuurou opened his eyes, the only thing he can see is black.

_I'm not supposed to be here,_ he thought with mild irritation. Apparently, waking up in a dark place without knowing how and why it happened was not enough to shake the Akashi heir's calm and logical composure. He took a deep breath, then regretted it almost immediately. The air in this room was stale and mouldy, and the dust tickled his sensitive nose, unused to such filth. He suppressed a sneeze.

_Where the hell am I? _

Akashi, who was lying on his back, stared up at the ceiling that he cannot actually see, his brain working overdrive as he tried to figure out the what, the when, the where, the how, and the why that has gotten him to his present predicament. His memory wasa bit uncooperative at first; his memories were simply too hazy and disordered to even make sense of them, but Akashi willed them to make themselves clear in order to remind him of the events that resulted to him being bound up and kept hostage in here, and with a gag to boot.

_Tea_, he remembered — almost tasting the Early Grey on his tongue. He was supposed to be drinking tea with one of his father's clients in a teahouse in Gion, then discuss business afterwards. However, the 'business' part didn't come, because at some point, Akashi lost consciousness.

But how?

_It must've been the tea. No, _he thought. _It really was the tea. No mistake about it. They probably — they actually drugged me then locked me up in here. The bastards._

Akashi rarely curse or say such crude words, but when one gets fed up, what can you do? At least he does not say them out loud, but rather screams it out in his mind and let it echo inside his head, to be heard by only him and him alone. After all, Akashi was always polite and the way he speaks is borderline poetic, even when he is threatening someone.

But back to the problem at hand. The whole thing was a set up, from the client to every single staff of the teahouse present at that moment. If not, then it would have been very troublesome for them to smuggle an unconscious person out of the teahouse. What irks him, though, was why he wasn't able to notice something suspicious from the start. Thinking about it, he'd actually fallen for it — hook, line, and sinker. Oh well, he'd figure that out later — what he needs to do right now was to get out of this place, and fast.

That was easier said than done. His hands were bound behind him, and it was only when he tried getting up that he discovered that his ankles were tied to unseen bedposts, completely restraining his movements.

And the gag was truly irritating him.

What now? He is practically a sitting duck in his position. Well, if someone was to enter the room, that someone won't be able to see anything either, but then again, whoever it is that'll pay him a visit sooner or later has the freedom to turn on the light, while Akashi can only wait and see what happens to him.

There was a shuffling noise as Akashi moved in the darkness, changing his awkward position on the bed. His arms were killing him, the knots digging painfully on his back, so he decided to lay on his side, his cheek pressed against the rough surface of the bed.

One loses sense of time when surrounded by darkness. Akashi was not sure how long he lay in the darkness when there came a faint metallic click followed by a creaking sound. It's the sound of a door being opened. There was no one on the other side, though, no footsteps to indicate someone's presence. Maybe he was just imagining hearing such things. Then he remembered something.

_Father's probably figured out that I'm being held somewhere. He should've sent someone in already_, Akashi thought. It's not hope, it's actually a fact. Even though he does not particularly likes his father, Akashi knows that the man will do anything to keep his sone safe — Akashi, after all, was the one and only heir to the Akashi conglomerate, and that makes him, in a sense, a valuable piece to his father. Thus, Akashi trusts him that much, though most people would be aghast at the basis of his trust. Akashi Seito does not 'love' his son the way a normal father should, and Akashi finds it hard to even think about it, much less putting his trust on something as vague and as abstract as 'love'. Akashi was thinking about all these things when all of a sudden, he felt his skin tingle.

He's not alone.

Akashi couldn't feel any presence at all, but he knows perfectly when someone is looking at him, and right now, his instincts was screaming at him that someone is looking at him that very moment.

And that person was right behind him.

No, Akashi does not believe in ghosts — he finds them extremely absurd and childish. This is a being with a real form. Since his instincts was never wrong, then that means that there was someone who opened the door and managed to get behind him without making as much as a single footstep! And that person can move well in the absence of light... Are we talking about a cat here? Well, Akashi has always been fond of cats, but cats can never turn doorknobs nor make his skin crawl like this.

Just as he was about to look behind him, the unseen being made itself known. It whispered in his ear, its nose brushing slightly against his earlobe.

"I'm here to get you home, Akashi-sama."

It's a female, judging from her voice. It was light and almost pleasant to the ear if only she did not speak in complete monotone. If you were to draw her way of speaking, you'll end with a perfectly straight line, no rising or falling crests to indicate the rise and fall of her intonation. It was all flat. The only punctuation marks she probably knows was the comma and the period.

She didn't bother to get a light or something instead she started undoing Akashi's restraints. She removed his gag first, her fingers not even fumbling once as she undid the knot that secured the cloth at the back of Akashi's head. Next to come off was the ropes around his wrists, and finally, the ones around his ankles. Carefully, Akashi slowly sat up, and the movement made him feel a bit woozy.

"Who are you?" he asked, wary of this stranger in the dark.

"If you want to get out of here, then you have to trust me. Can you run?" He heard her ask him, and Akashi added the missing question mark at the end of her sentence unconsciously in his head. He nodded, forgetting that it was too dark to even see your own hand a mere few inches from your face, but the girl seemed to see quite well in this abyss, and made a noncomittal 'hmm' before going on a brief explanation of their plan of action.

"There's a back stairway that will bring us out near the garage. We'll have to get past the guards and their guard dogs, though, so we'll have to be real quiet." The way she said makes the whole thing as if it was just a simple game of hide-and-seek, as if she's not even anticipating of killing those guards and their dogs if ever they encounter one. Akashi said nothing though, but stood up from the bed.

"I'm ready."

There was no reply, only her fingers wrapping themselves around his wrist, pulling him closer and leading him out of the room. Everything was dark, and Akashi wondered how she can navigate around in this maze of nothingness. Without warning, she stopped, her fingers tightening their grip for a moment as if to tell him to wait. He felt her move, then the unmistakable sound of a gun with a silencer, followed by a heavy thud somewhere.

She just had her first kill, then Akashi wondered how she managed to sense that person. The man did not do anything to announce his presence to her, but still, she had stopped and shot him like she perfectly knew where he was exactly standing. It must be a headshot, too — the man died too quickly without even crying out.

He felt a tug on his arm, and they moved along, down a long, long corridor and down the narrow unlit staircase that she told him earlier, and finally out into the equally dark night. The fresh, cold air was a welcome change to the stale inside the dark room he was in earlier, and he inhaled deeply. Suddenly, the girl shoved him against the wall, keeping and camouflaging them in the shadows.

Her back was pressed up against him, and Akashi got to know two things about her. One is that she had long hair, currently tied in a high ponytail, and two, that she is a few inches shorter than him.

A muffled growl shook him from his musings, and her grip on him tightened once again. They froze as the guard admonished his dog, and Akashi saw them pass by without noticing their presence. A few minutes passed before she moved away from him.

"They would be back soon. Come on."

The guards were halfway across what looked to Akashi as a formal garden, but he can't remember seeing this place before. She urged him to run, and they dodged from shadow to shadow as they crossed the wide strip of the well-lit lawn. He noticed her odd hair color — a luminous shade of chartreuse — and wondered if it was dyed or something. The girl seemed to have a preternatural instinct as to where to move, and Akashi found himself following her at will. Since they were in such a rush, he wasn't able to get a good look at her, but then it won't make much of a difference as she was wearing a mask over the lower half of her face, her eyes only the ones visible beneath her bangs.

She killed four more guards, disposing of them quickly with a single shot to the head, all without hesitation. She merely aimed and pulled the trigger with ease. She didn't harm the dogs though, and miraculously enough, the dogs didn't even bark at them, but growled for a moment before slunking away with their tails between their legs. Twice she left him in the shadows where he waited until she returned to get him. Finally, they reached their goal — a black Porsche parked near the curving drive. With a burst of renewed speed, they ran to it, and they entered, she on the driver seat, Akashi on the passenger seat. He sank into the leather, relieved. He heard the click of the seatbelt, and he looked at her as she gripped the wheel with black gloved hands.

"Put on your seatbelt."

Akashi did, and when he was done, she started the engine, and they shot off into the night like a cannonball. True to her word, she drove really fast on the dark, moonless roads, as if the Grim Reaper himself was chasing them. No one spoke. Her hand reached over and turned on the radio. What came forth from the speakers was some sugary love song from a girl idol and Akashi saw her cringe before hastening to flick the switch off.

That was something. Here was a girl who would flinch at hearing pop songs but not when killing people.

Interesting.

She drove so fast, everything was a blur. Which is why Akashi was surprised when she suddenly pulled into some hotel's parking lot instead of going straight to the manor. She turned off the car and stepped outside, wordlessly prompting Akashi to do the same.

She turned to him the moment he was out. As if reading his mind, she said, "They'll have an ambush waiting for us if we go straight to your estate."

"Makes sense."

She gave him a shrug as if to say, I don't care what you think, but Akashi felt too tired to get mad at her even though her indifference not to him but to everything else around her annoyed the heck out of him. They headed to the elevator and rode in silence till they reached the top floor. She went out first, looking left and right, scanning the deserted hallways.

"All's clear." She handed him a room key. "The room is the one at the end of the hall." Akashi led the way, with her trailing behind, in case someone had managed to follow them all the way up here.

It was dark when they stepped inside. She flicked the light switch near the door and warm artificial light flooded the room. They were standing in the sitting room. The girl shed her coat and threw it carelessly to the sofa. She walked past him to the double doors that lead to the bedroom and shower area. She paused, her hand on the doorknob.

"Your father sent you some clothes. It's on the coffee table," and then she went inside, closing the door after her.

Fifteen minutes later, she came out of the bedroom, drying her hair with one of the hotel's issued towels. Akashi was sitting on the sofa, the parcel of clothing on his lap. He instinctively turned his head when he heard the door open. And for the first time that evening, he was able to get a good look at the girl whom his father had sent for him.

What struck him the most is the realization that the one who saved him was a fairly young girl, maybe around his age, perhaps younger. Her chartreuse hair was a bit darker in color in its wet state, and they were long and straight and reached all the way to her slim waist. She has a petite figure, well-toned and lithe as a panther, clearly seen due to her rather revealing choices of clothing of white tank top that exposed her midriff and white boy shorts to match. Her skin is flawlessly fair, rosy cheeks and coral lips — hard to believe that this girl with her doll-like features is actually a murderer.

Her eyes had been partially hidden from view by her bangs as she had head bowed slightly as she toweled her hair. The moment she looked up and meet Akashi's gaze, he was taken by their haunting depths of liquid gold, a bright yellow color that ironically lacks the glimmer of life. They were as barren as the desert, like the gaze of the stone sphinx over the land of Egypt.

She stopped a few feet from the couch where Akashi was seated. Her face was blank as ever. She hung the towel round her neck.

"Done staring? We only have a few more hours so move it."

Something in Akashi snapped. All the irritation that had build up inside him from the moment he woke up in that dark room up to this girl's demeanor came bubbling up like lava spewing out the volcano's crater. Anger needs an object to act as its receiver, and the nearest thing happened to be this pokerfaced assassin. Akashi stood up, closing the distance between them. He looked down at her, eyes glinting dangerously. "No one speaks to me that way. No one, not even you."

The girl was unfazed by his threat. As if to anger him further, she met his gaze with an insolent one of her own. "Well, I just did." Akashi's hand shot out and gripped her wrist tightly, to the point of almost leaving a bruise. There was no reaction from her, only narrowed eyes that shows only mild annoyance.

"It would do well for you to know that threats, empty or not, do not work on me," and as if to drive the point home, she freed herself from Akashi's grip with a single flick of her wrist then walked away, bumping her shoulder intentionally on Akashi's own. There was a whoosh of air as she plopped herself on the couch a bit heavily. Akashi turned, and the paper bag containing his clothes came flying into his arms. He shot a glare at her.

"Go take a shower. We leave at first light."

He found her sitting up on the couch, eyes closed, but the faintest sound of his footstep made her open her eyes. Without looking at him, she spoke, "Three more hours. Go to sleep."

Akashi ignored her suggestion and sat instead at the couch on her left.

"You never told me your name."

Her look says, 'Why should I?'

"Your name?" Akashi prompted, getting another look with the message, 'Bug off.'

"It's not fair when you know my name and I don't know yours."

"I never asked for your name."

She has a point. "But still, you know I'm Akashi Seijuurou."

"No, I don't." At Akashi's confused look, she sighed, as if to say, 'Why do I have to explain this things to this idiot', and said, "I only asked for your description. Bloodred hair, heterochromatic eyes. Not a hard person to miss."

_But it was totally dark when you came into the room. How could you know that it was indeed me on that bed and not somebody else — say a decoy? _But Akashi didn't told her that. Instead he nodded thoughtfully, and said, "Well, you are pretty hard to miss yourself. There is not a lot of people with hair the color of yours. I'd say it's quite unique. It is the first time I'd seen one with lime green hair, to be honest."

"It's not artificial," she said, with a bit of annoyance, the first time her voice took on the faintest hint of emotion. Akashi was amused. Apparently, her hair color was a sensitive subject to her. A ghost of a smirk crept on his face.

"I didn't say anything about it being artificial or dyed, did I?"

"But you were thinking about it," she replied with an accusatory tone.

"How can you prove that?" he asked, hiding his mirth behind a passive face.

She rolled her eyes at him. "It's written all over your face. And I'm pretty sure you're holding back your laughter right now."

She's good at this — very perceptive. She really is talented to have been chosen by her father to send after him. The question is, where did his father picked her up?

"How long have you been working for father?" he asked, curiousity getting the better of him.

"I don't."

"Then why —"

She cut him off with a disinterested look. "I don't work for anybody."

"You're a freelancer, then?"

She gave no reply. Akashi sighed inwardly. Talking to this girl is like playing the slot machine. If you're lucky, you get an answer. If not, well, you're better off talking to yourself.

They spent the remaining hours in complete silence, both staring into space, lost in their own worlds. No one knew what they could be possibly thinking at that time, or if they were even thinking at all. Then, as the imaginary hourglass at the table had run out of sand, the chartruesette rose from her seat, donning her coat once again.

"Time to go."


	2. Chapter 2

*** II. If That Is What You Want To Do ***

She barely looked at the menu before she flagged down a waiter to take her order. "Pancakes and coffee."

The girl was obviously in no hurry to get Akashi back to the manor as she decided to have breakfast in this small restaurant. She did not even asked Akashi's opinion on the matter, but just stopped the car and left after tossing Akashi his wallet and phone that she must've probably forgotten to return to him earlier. Akashi's eye twitched when she ignored his thanks, then went out of the car to follow the whimsical chartreusette in her quest for food.

Akashi chose to have the usual bread and scrambled eggs, and decided to have hot milk instead of the strong black liquid that's loaded with caffeine. The waiter though, took his time stealing glances at the chartreusette who wasn't even bothered at the least by the man's lack of subtlety. The man must have been as significant to her as a fly on the windowsill.

They ate in silence, and Akashi paid for their meal to which the girl made no objection. Not a 'Thank you' even. Akashi, on the other hand, thanked her for retrieving his phone and wallet from wherever it is placed by his unknown captors, and she merely shrugged as if it was not a big deal.

The drive back to the manor was the same — no one spoke. Akashi never was the talkative type, and she's simply not interested. The only thing that broke the monotony between them was when she plugged in a disk in the car's music player and Schubert's Sonata in D Major came flowing out.

Aside from Pachelbel's Canon, this was another piece that Akashi likes to play once in a while on the piano. He rarely touches the grand piano in the manor's music room now as he much preferred the violin, which he would take with him whenever he goes on a stroll on the grounds, and he would go to the hidden lake inside the woods and play to his heart's content. When he was young, his mother told him that a fairy lives in the lake and that, if Akashi plays something that the fairy likes, then she might show herself to him and grant him a wish or two. Thus, the young boy always made it a point to go to the lake to practice beside it, his mother in tow. Not that he really believes that there really is a fairy, and he doesn't have anything that he would like to have that would require special powers for him to obtain it. Rather, it's because back then, he believed that his mother truly believes in the existence of that fairy and would like to see it if it ever came out from its underwater palace. It was like a hidden wish of his mother that the young boy would like to make into reality, no matter how absurd the idea of fairies are to his young mind.

Lost in his musings on the better parts of his childhood, Akashi didn't notice that they were already passing through familiar roads, and after a short while, the magnificent gates to the Akashi estate came to view.

The guard seemed to be expecting them as the girl didn't bother to stop the car and give some sort of identification, which is standard protocol for everyone who goes inside the compound. Instead, she drove straight ahead, then parked the car in the appropriate area, and together they walked the 100-meter or so pathway with arches covered completely with rose vines in full bloom. It cuts straight through the privet maze in front of the main house, with a Victorian-themed fountain at its center. Servants were already lined up at the manor's entrance, and bowed in greeting to the young master, who merely gave a curt nod in dismissal. Akashi headed straight to his father's study, the girl following at a leisurely pace behind him.

* * *

Akashi Seito was having his usual late morning tea when he heard a knock he recognized as Seijuurou's — a single knock followed by a pause then two knocks in quick succession. He placed his tea cup on the table and said a firm, "Come in."

"Good morning, father," Akashi Seijuurou said, pausing at the doorway. Beside him, the girl remained quiet, her bright yet lifeless golden eyes boring a hole at the center of Akashi Seito's forehead with her gaze.

The older man beckoned them over to the low table where he was seated, and the two teens obliged, sitting in seiza positions, hands on their laps. Seito offered them tea, but both declined — Seijuurou telling him politely that he just had milk earlier that day, while the chartreusette expressed her answer with an unamused look.

"So, you're back," Seito said coolly, sipping his tea.

"Yes, Father," Seijuurou replied, keeping his eyes and face blank, lest it betray his feelings to his father.

How disappointing.

_He just don't really care,_ he thought as his mind processed the words that his father had just told him upon his return. No asking about his well-being — just a simple 'So, you're back' and that's that. In the end, he was just another tool to his father. Nothing more, nothing else.

Not that he's actually seeking that particular kind of attention from his father. He knows that this man, the one he calls his father, has a heart of ice. So much that it made him wonder how a man like him was able to marry a woman like his mother. They're complete opposites. But then they got married, had a son. So is this true? That opposites attract, like the poles on a magnet?

Anyway, it was that naive and childish side of Akashi Seijuurou that got him thinking this way. A part of him was dying to know how would it feel like to be on the receiving end of such affection? To have someone worry over your well-being? His mother did, of course, but that was years ago, and Akashi had forgotten how it feels like. Sure, he had caretakers who fussed over him, but that's because it's their job to do so. If something happens to the heir due to their carelessness or incompetency, then there would be hell to pay.

This rather annoying curiosity of his took root when he, along with the rest of the Kiseki no Sedai, visited Kise Ryouta in the hospital where he was admitted for the treatment of his leg injury sometime in late December. Kise's father was there, an exact replica of Kise if only they have the same blonde hair. Apparently, Kise's father decided to dye his hair black because due to his son's popularity being a model and all, people tend to confuse them sometimes when theyre not really paying attention. They'd see the exact blond hair, and the same amber eyes with those long lashes, and they would scream, "Kyaaa! It's Kise-kun!", not noticing that the man was a bit taller and bigger in build, and considerably older than the model himself. It was a bit awkward, but he was proud of his son's achievements at such a young age, and instead of getting annoyed at being mobbed by teenage girls asking for his autograph only to get surprised when this 'Kise-kun' is not exactly their 'Kise-kun', the older man took it in stride and his now black hair became a sort of an inside joke between his son and served only to tighten the bonds between father and son.

It was then that Akashi Seijuurou saw him talking to his son worriedly about his injury, and Kise was doing his best to explain things to his father, to convince him that it's not exactly as serious as it looks like. Everytime Kise would mention a medical term, his father would panic and say, "What does that mean? Are you saying they'll amputate your leg?" To which Kise looked on in horror, and almost yelled.

"Noooo! Pops, that's not what it meant!" And then, to Midorima and Akashi, he pleaded, "Midorimacchi! Akashicchi! Please help me!"

And so the task of explaining fell on the two, Akashi doing his best to keep things as simple as he can, with Midorima stating in detail the necessary procedures on Kise's treatment.

"Kise was only asked to go to the hospital to have his X-ray taken and to have an specialist talk to him," Midorima concluded.

Akashi gave the man an assuring look, thinking just how exactly father and son resembled one another so much that it was borderline creepy. The same cheerful demeanor, both hyperactive and talkative, the easygoing aura that puts people at ease, the same grin, the same laugh — one can almost say that they can pass off as twins. But it was the man's worry for his son's wellbeing that stuck to Akashi Seijuurou whenever he remember that particular day of December. A worry so deep and sincere that he, a grown man, has to be assured by two high school students that no one, especially his son, is going to have one of their legs cut off.

Akashi Seito eyed his son for a few moments. He wondered what could he have been thinking. The heir never offered any explanation or detail about his abduction. He seemed not to be in pain, either. No physical injuries, as far as he can tell. He gave him a last once-over, then said, "Seijuurou, you can go now to your room and rest. I still have some matters of importance to discuss with her."

Akashi let out a small sigh. "As you wish, father." He bowed before standing up from his seat. "Excuse me, then." He turned, and left the room, golden eyes following his retreating form.

* * *

In his bed, Akashi lay on his back staring at the ceiling, thinking. He was being out of character today. His life was catching up on him, he mused. Looking around his room, his gaze fell on the picture frames that adorned his bedside table. Sadness enveloped his being as he stared at the picture of a beautiful woman hugging a small red-haired child carrying a basketball that was too big for his small hands. They were smiling, and Akashi was reminded of his childhood when at a very young age, he was already learning about things that were far too advanced for his young mind. He was taught countless lessons only to be replaced with another after he mastered them. Every day he would wake up only to be greeted by his countless private tutors and then after the day was done, he would wearily trudge back to his room to sleep just so that he could rest only to go over the same routine the next day. His father would ocassionally visit him during one of his sessions, only to leave when he had made sure that his son was doing well with his lessons. At dinner, he would ask the same question: "How are your studies?" which Akashi would answer with "They are satisfactory" and his father would nod and tell him to keep up the work, that excellence is the only way to make himself worthy as a member of the Akashi household, that failure is not an option and that he expects greatly from his only son and heir. The young Akashi can only answer in agreement to his father's words while his kind mother can only smile at him. She had been his sole source of comfort — even going as much as teaching him basketball despite his father's disapproval. And then she died, leaving him behind. With her gone, Akashi's life turned hell at the hands of his father. He put more pressure on his son and increased his lessons without giving a thought to the boy's well-being and plunged himself to the family's business. Basketball was the only thing that comforted Akashi every day. Everytime he dribbles or shoots a ball, he could pretend that his kind mother was there cheering for him. His eyes shifted to the other picture on the table. And through basketball that she had taught him, he was given the chance to meet people whom he treats as his true friends.

Akashi allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he looked at the other photo. It was one taken earlier that year. Six boys and a girl after a game of streetball. He chuckled slightly as he took note of their hair colors. 'What a colorful bunch', he thought. He remembered the time in middle school when Kise Ryota, their blonde teammate, commented that they looked like the Power Rangers, only to run in panic when he saw crimson eyes glaring at his direction. Inwardly, Akashi had agreed with the Copycat's words, but somehow it was more amusing to watch the blonde scramble away from him. He locked on the teal-haired boy at the center of the picture.

Kuroko Tetsuya.

A person that Akashi would be eternally grateful to. After all, he was a shadow that became their light when they got lost in the dark times of their lives.

As the boy reminisced about the past to take his mind off things, he didn't realize that he had fallen asleep, a peaceful look on his face.

* * *

Weekday mornings at the Akashi manor are virtually the same everytime. It's like a well-rehearsed play. The characters, of course, are the two inhabitants of the house — the crimson-eyed father and thr heterochromatic son, sharing the bright bloodred hair distinctive of the Akashi family.

The curtains would open at exactly 6:00 am sharp — not a minute more, not a minute less. Both would emerge from their respective rooms all set for the roles that they play each day — the father in his Armani business suit, the son in his Rakuzan High School uniform. Their room are on opposite wings of the house — the former on the right, the latter on the left — and they would converge at the top of the grand staircase, greet each other a pretentious "Good morning", and descend with such elegance, heading to the dining hall where their breakfast awaits them. The father, of course, takes the seat at the head of the table, and the son at the opposite to have a sense of balance in their arrangement. The scene: two people sitting down to breakfast in a dining table that can seat up to eight more people. The blue tablecloth might as well have been the ocean separating father and son with an immeasurable distance of the metaphysical sense.

In such a grand setting and equally grand characters, their meal, as a rule, must be equally grand as well. Served on priceless crockery of fine china in a magnificent presentation, even the simple fare of toast, ham and eggs, and milk looks much more appealing than to those that were served haphazardly — say, from the frying pan straight to the plate. One easily forgets, food is an art also in itself.

But, as they say, don't take everything at surface value. These are not your run-of-the-mill 'toast, ham and eggs, and milk' served just about anywhere. For the Akashis, they deserve nothing but the finest things that money can buy. The toast comes from the finest wheat, the ham from the finest pork, the eggs from the finest hens, the milk from the finest cows. That is the rule.

Time check: 6:15 am. On cue, the pair would say 'Itadakimasu' in perfect sync, in voices so flat one would have doubts if they were truly sincere in their thanks for such a fine feast. Then they would pick up their silverware and start eating in precise motions evident of strict accordance to etiquette down to the angle of their arms to the act of wiping the corners of their mouths with their table napkins.

And soon after would come the talk.

It is always the father who would initiate the conversation, always after finishing his first toast. Okay, so maybe 'conversation is not the right word. Talk during breakfast falls under either of these two categories: the interrogation of sorts or a series of imperatives. On this particular Monday morning though, the talk is of the latter category.

Akashi Seito buttered his second toast with utmost care, and as he did so, he stated casually, as if he was merely talking about something as mundane as the weather, and not about matters that concerns life and death of his son.

"There's been a lot of threats on your life lately, Seijuurou."

"As I have perfectly noticed," the heir replied without missing a beat. It has been three days since the kidnapping incident. How could he even forget when everytime it happened, it causes quite the sensation? It all started two months ago, when a sniper, in his desperation to finish him off, pulled a truly stupid stunt of trying to kill him in broad daylight, in his school too nonetheless. Akashi escaped with a bullet grazing his neck — an inch more and he was sure to be six feet under by now. It caused a scare in Rakuzan, not to mention that it sent a certain group of high schoolers with varied hair colors rushing to a private hospital in Kyoto to check up on their former captain. It happened several times after that, outside the school and on several business parties, thus Akashi is always on edge during such gatherings. Who knows when someone in the crowd would put a gun to his head all of a sudden and blow his brains out?

"After yesterday's incident, we need to be more vigilant. Rival companies are getting extremely vicious, going so far as to pull such stunts. If they did manage to succeed, then that would mean the end of the Akashi. We cannot allow that, of course. That is why, several security measures have to be done until we find the one responsible for all these incidents. Starting today, you will be driven to and from Rakuzan, and I already hired a capable bodyguard to protect you from future harm. We can't have them thinking that they can just openly threaten the Akashis."

There goes his freedom. Akashi had always made it a point ever since he started going to school not to openly display his family's wealth in front of his schoolmates due to his inner desire of making a name out of his own accomplishments. However, because of this turn of events, he has to be dropped to school every morning to the gates of Rakuzan in that flashy limousine, so as with going home. But it can't be helped. He bit back a sigh as he continued with his meal. It doesn't matter whether or not he answer since it wouldn't matter. Agree or disagree, what his father says go.

6:45 marks the end of their breakfast. Both would rise at the same time, go to their own rooms to brush their teeth, go down at exactly 6:50, and by 7:00, both would be in their respective limousines — one to his office, one to his school.

Just your typical weekday morning in the Akashi manor.


	3. Chapter 3

*** III. New Scenery, New Rules***

_Two days after the safe return of the Akashi heir. It was eleven o'clock in the morning when the guest arrived in Akashi Seito's office in the topmost floor of the Akashi company building in Kyoto's business district. The only person inside, though, was the president's young secretary, who was busy thumbing through some files on her desk._

_The man opened the door without a sound, and he closed it just as silently. It's not a conscious act to him, though — it's more of a second nature to him, as naturally as breathing. So much that the secretary did not notice his presence until he was standing right in front of her desk._

_"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I have an appointment with your employer today, and I'm afraid I've come half an hour early," the man said in a deep baritone. The secretary was flustered for only a second before she reverted back to her professional mode. She looked at her employer's schedule for today on her tablet and sure enough, an appointment was scheduled with one Ryuunosuke Jin at 11:30 that day. She looked at the man and smiled understandingly._

_"Akashi-san is in a business meeting right now, but rest assured he'll be back in time for your appointment. Would you care to wait for him until he gets back here, Ryuunosuke-san?"_

_"I'll wait for him here," he replied, and the secretary nodded and conducted him to the reception area. He took a seat on the monochrome sofa and crossed his legs with an air of authority. The secretary left and returned momentarily with a cup of barley tea. He thanked her and she returned to her desk._

_The man, Ryuunosuke Jin, sniffed the tea carefully before taking a tentative sip. Convinced that nothing is wrong with it, he sat back and relaxed. He was formally dressed in a well-tailored gray suit, with a white dress shirt underneath, a striped tie, and black shoes shined to perfection. His face was expresionless, with sharp yet refined features. His eyes and nose were angular, his lips bloodless and thin. It is hard to decipher what was on his mind as he sipped his tea, waiting for the clock to strike eleven-thirty._

_Akashi Seito arrived on time, as expected. Ryuunosuke glanced at his expensive timepiece with an amused eye, and stood up to shake hands with his host._

_"Right on the dot, as always, Seito," he said as they sat back down on the sofa facing one another. The secretary entered to serve them tea and left just as immediately._

_"Not a minute more, not a minute less," Akashi Seito replied with a smirk. "It's a matter of precision."_

_"Akashis and their obsession on perfection," Ryuunosuke said, half-jokingly._

_"And look where that 'obsession' has led us," Akashi Seito replied with a bit of pride. _

_"Why, to the top, of course."_

_"Exactly."_

_"So," Ryuunosuke inquired, "what do you want this time, Seito?"_

_The men reverted to their serious side reserved for business dealings. The redhaired man nodded._

_"I need someone to watch over Seijuurou," he said, getting straight to the point. _

_"I see." Ryuunosuke paused, deep in thought. "Seijuurou is still in high school, isn't he?"_

_"Yes. He's going to be a second year this year."_

_"And the first time happened inside the campus, as I can recall."_

_"Yes."_

_Ryuunosuke sipped his tea and placed the teacup back down on the table. "Then the suitable bodyguard to have for Seijuurou is someone that can blend in with his crowd. Someone his age."_

_"Are you referring to the girl who took the mission?"_

_"Aa. She's the only one that can pull this off. She's the only sixteen-year old assassin I had."_

_Akashi Seito, however, was a bit doubtful. "Why not have someone like the ones you assigned to me? And besides, she's too young, and a girl at that."_

_"I never expected you to be this shallow, Seito. Actually, the best ones when in comes to torture and interrogation are females. And trust me when I say that she's the best choice as your son's bodyguard. If I were to send someone else, their capabilities would be limited and they won't be able to watch him properly when he's inside the school. With Mizuki, under the guise of normal schoolgirl, will be able to guard him much more effectively." Ryuunosuke leveled his obsidian eyes with Akashi Seito's red ones. "If that doesn't convince you, then maybe her name will."_

_Akashi Seito raised an eyebrow at him. "What does her name has to do with this?"_

_Ryuunosuke grinned. "She's a Fujiwara."_

_There was a pause, as red eyes widened in recognition of the name. "How?"_

_"She's the heiress, no doubt about it. She has the mark. And yes, she's the last of them, though she's arguably the best among them all. Mizuki's the ideal killing machine."_

_"It's unfortunate that the successor happened to be a girl — the name of the Fujiwara will die with her." Akashi Seito commented._

_"Unfortunate, indeed, but when it comes to her skills, only a few men can hope to be on par with her."_

_Akashi Seito sighed. "I'll trust your decision on this, Jin. So when can she start?"_

_Ryuunosuke smiled, satisfied with the man's words. "I'll bring her over on Tuesday. And Seito, a word of advice: Mizuki has quite a few quirks of her own, but nothing harmful. If you can just ignore those, then everything will be fine."_

_"If you say so."_

_"Excellent. Then we have a deal." He stood up to leave. "Tuesday, then."_

* * *

A girl with long chartreuse hair pressed the button at the gate and stated her name to the intercom.

"Fujiwara Mizuki."

She aimed a tiny glare at the overhead camera. The iron gate opened slowly, and once she stepped inside, the gate closed behind her. She walked through the garden that sprawled in front of the bungalow and headed for the front door, walking straight down the path, although it seemed like she's gliding across the pavements at the gracefulness of her motions. The place was deserted — most of the people staying here are usually out on Sundays.

Her boots made a dull sound with every step, and her long hair swayed softly in the gentle spring breeze. As usual, she was wearing an all-black costume — a turtleneck dress, black fingerless gloves, knee-high boots.

She rang the doorbell and as she waited, she let her eyes wander over the garden's magnificent sakura trees. It was still early April, and the whole of Kyoto was in full bloom. Every time the wind blows, their blossoms would fall slowly to the ground like snow.

A minute passed, but no one answered the door. She decided against ringing the doorbell once again. Instead she circled past the sakura trees in the direction of the pond, which was behind the main house, concealed from view by the weeping willows and weeping cherry trees that grew at the banks of the pond. At the center of the pond, there floats a pagoda-like structure that's open on all sides, with a pointed roof in bright red. Numerous windchimes hung from the rafters, their soft tinkling chimes giving the place an enchanting air. A narrow walkway serves as a path to get to it from the edge of the pond. Jin was standing inside the pagoda, a huge black crow perched on his shoulder. He was looking at something on the other side of the pond. The bird cawed loudly when it saw Mizuki, and the man turned and smiled when he saw who the 'intruder' was. Mizuki crossed the wooden beam, and glared at the bird, who cried one last time before taking off to the skies.

They sat facing one another on the table in the middle of the structure. On the table's surface was a beautiful celadon teapot and two matching cups, along with a plate of uiro, with thin toothpicks sticking out of them. Mizuki lifted the teapot lid, checking its contents. The fragrant aroma of gen mai tea rose from the container. Slowly, she filled their teacups and pushed one to the man's direction.

"Thank you, Mizuki."

The girl said nothing. With her left hand, she lifted her saucer and with her right, she brough the cup to her lips, quietly sipping her tea. The man did the same.

"Since you're so adamant on refusing my offer for a break, you might as well take this mission," he said as he set his cup back down on the table. "Just a simple security mission to some rich heir."

Mizuki took a green uiro from the plate and nibbled on it, waiting for Ryuunosuke to continue.

"You'll be looking after Akashi Seijuurou, the one you saved days ago. His father decided to have someone keep an eye on the heir after that incident. He can't take any more risks — he cannot lose his successor no matter what."

"Kurei and Yasha," she said in her usual monotone. Those were the names of the two bodyguards assigned to Akashi Seito, working under Ryuunosuke as well.

"Seito would prefer them by his side," he said in reply to her unsaid question. "Besides, it won't be a good idea either. His son has his own policies regarding his freedom outside the manor."

She nodded in understanding.

"Seijuurou is still a high school student, thus if Kurei or Yasha were to guard him, they wouldn't be able to do so when he's inside his school. We need someone who can pass off as a high school student like him, and those two are past the age even for a college student."

"I see," she said, looking straight into the man's black eyes.

Ryuunosuke smiled. "Good. You'll be starting tomorrow. We'll be meeting your employer and your charge at 3:00 in the afternoon. Prepare your things by then. Kazehaya will be giving you some important documents on your way out."

"Understood." Mizuki stood up and gave a small bow to the man, and took her leave.

* * *

At the guardpost near the gate stood a dark-eyed man, tall with long black hair tied in a low ponytail at the back of his head. He was in his late twenties, a high-ranking karate and weapons expert. Ryuunosuke's personal bodyguard, and one of the deadliest assassins in the whole of Japan. Despite the fearsome descriptions, he is a calm, cool, and intellectual person. His name is Kazehaya Tora.

Mizuki paused in front of the guardhouse and he stepped out to meet her, a brown envelope in his hands.

"New mission?" he asked as he handed the envelope to her.

"Aa," she replied. Taking the offered object, she peered at its contents. A class schedule, several school pamphlets and brochures, a handbook on the school's policies, several maps of the school and of the Akashi manor, and a typed copy of her cover story.

"You look tired," Kazehaya said offhandedly.

Mizuki closed the envelope and gave him a sharp look. "Where did that come from?"

The man looked at her with a mixture of amusement and worry. "You really should have taken that break that Ryuunosuke-san had been offering you after your assignment in Fukouka. Go on a vacation or something, take a breather. Go to some Zen temple — Myoshinji, Kiyomizu-dera — wherever, Kyoto has lots of them. You know the rules. You're supposed to take a two-month leave after a suicide mission."

Mizuki shrugged, showing the envelope to him. "Well, this came up."

"And we all knew that new mission or not, you'd still refuse the offer."

"And I don't know why you still keep on bugging me about it."

"You need to take care of yourself." Kazehaya sighed. "I really shouldn't have agreed to teach you martial arts back then. Maybe I should have left you to your books..."

"You do realize that I come from a family of killers, right?" she said, her voice even. "Even if you didn't offer to teach me, sooner or later I would be teaching myself all those things. I just chose to start with the books. The killing part was supposed to come later."

"It's still not too late for you to change, though. You're still young, you can still enter society as a normal person. I've lost count of how many times Ryuunosuke-san had brought up this topic for you to consider it. Do you mean to live the rest of your life like this?"

A period of silence followed, as it always do everytime they talk about this. Kazehaya sighed once more, then laid a brotherly hand on Mizuki's shoulder. No one would suspect her of being a murderer, and it would've been easy for her to turn her back on all of this bloody business. However, for Mizuki, the wounds were still fresh, the scars run too deep, and there was no denying the fate that goes with her name. There simply was no escape.

"Anyhow, I'm glad you came back from Fukouka alive," he said with pure sincerity. He removed his hand and shoved them in his pocket.

Kazehaya kept his eyes fixed on her back as she walked away, and Mizuki was fully aware of it. And so she kept her chin up, her back straight, and walked with firm steps as if following a perfectly straight line. The gate opened as she reached the end of the path. She gave a little wave to Kazehaya, and stepped outside. The gate slowly shut behind her, and as she walked down the path, Mizuki forgot about Kazehaya's words and focused instead on thinking about absolutely nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

*** IV. If I'm Not Mistaken***

Mizuki handed the cab driver a couple of bills and stepped out of the cab, not bothering to get her change. She stood outside a six-story condo building in the middle of Kyoto's residential district, one of Ryuunosuke's safe houses for his operatives. No one lives there aside from her. She punched in the password to unlock the front door, then rode the elevator to get to the sixth floor. The first thing she did upon exiting the elevator was to scan the deserted hallways before going to her own apartment. As she opened the door, the entryway lights automatically switched on.

She peeled off her gloves, tossed them to the couch, and headed to the left of the entryway where the kitchen was. She opened the refrigerator, and took out a tub of blackberry ice cream. She set it down on the counter, then took a bowl from the cupboard and a spoon from the kitchen drawer. She filled the bowl with the frozen dessert, and returned the container to the fridge. She then moved to the living room area, and settled on the couch in front of the TV. She turned it on using the remote lying on the coffee table and switched channels until she came to one that was showing the news. Same old, same old — Mizuki ate her ice cream as the man on the screen blabbed about the usual things that never fails to bore her. None of them caught her attention.

The program ended, and Mizuki stood up to wash her bowl and spoon in the kitchen sink. She dried them with a towel before returning them to their proper places. She turned off the TV, then went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she was finished, Mizuki was not yet feeling sleepy, and so she stepped out into the balcony in her bare feet and black silk nightgown. Sitting on the balcony's garden chair, she looked up at the moonless yet star-filled sky. Kazehaya's words came floating to the surface of her mind.

'You look tired', he had told her, yet when she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, she looked perfectly fine. No wrinkles, no stress lines — she's too young for that. There was nothing new about the expression on her face either — still the same blank face with equally blank eyes that stared at her from the glass.

Kazehaya had been right about one thing, though. In her four years as an operative, Mizuki had not taken a break longer than two weeks before going off to a new one. It doesn't help that the majority of those missions were of the 'suicide' type. All the jobs that even the elites sometimes hesitate on taking all made its way to the chartreusette's hands. There was a time back in her first year in the field when the other operatives made bets as to whether or not she'll come back in one piece when she took on a nasty job order concerning the Chinese drug ring in Japan. When she returned relatively unscathed, Mizuki gained their respect.

As well as their dislike.

This was due to the fact that Ryuunosuke and most of the elites were never subtle in showing their favor to the young girl. The elites would give her private lessons, and Ryuunosuke fussed over her like a doting father. It was Kazehaya, one of the elites, who took her to Kyoto, and it was Ryuunosuke who decided to adopt the Fujiwara orphan.

Mizuki can still clearly recall how she came to the Residence.

It all started with the night of the massacre.

***Start of Flashback***

Originally from Nara, Mizuki was the heiress to the feared family of assassins, the Fujiwaras, renowned in the underworld circles of Japan. However, one fateful night of September, the members of the Fujiwara main house were killed by the members of the branch houses, who were unsatisfied with the way things are going inside their clan. Kazehaya, who was sent to the Fujiwara compound for a mere reconnaissance mission, found himself in the middle of a massacre, and ended up abandoning said mission to rescue the little girl who was just about to be killed by her own relative. Kazehaya killed the man and returned to Kyoto with the heiress in tow.

Ryuunosuke, of course, was furious when his best operative failed what was to be a crucial mission regarding the threat of the Fujiwara clan, but Kazehaya told him in a solemn voice, "We're too late — the Fujiwara clan is no more." He placed the girl in front of him to show to his superior. "The main house has been obliterated; only her remains."

Ryuunosuke was unsure what to do, but somehow, he cannot bring it to himself to order Kazehaya to kill her nor can he just turn her away. Thus, Ryuunosuke adopted the little orphan, then assigned one of the female operatives to look after her. Keeping her inside the Residence is out of the question, so he sent Mizuki and her surrogate mother outside, where they lived in a cozy apartment near an elementary school where she continued her studies. On weekends, they would visit the Residence once in a while. The Residence became warmer, and the girl's merry laughter seemed to cleanse the blood on their hands as Kazehaya and the other elites would spend their free time playing with the fallen angel.

This kind of lifestyle was worlds apart from the kind that Mizuki had known when she was living with her true family, but she managed to adjust accordingly. She was smart and polite, though she had her fair share of pulling pranks on others. She got along with her classmates, her teachers adore her, and she had excellent grades. Ryuunosuke was pleased to hear this; reforming the child to a normal life in a normal society seemed to be going smoothly. So smoothly that no one anticipated something wrong is going to happen. That this period in the Fujiwara Mizuki's life is simply the calm before the storm.

When Mizuki was in her second grade in elementary, there came an afternoon when her 'mother', whose name was Tsubasa, failed to show up to fetch her after school, the girl decided to walk home by herself.

It was dark in the apartment when she arrived. She turned on the lights and went to the living room area, but no one was there.

_Maybe she's in the bedroom,_ she thought.

"Tsubasa-san? Tsubasa-san," she called softly, opening the door. "Are you in here?"

She smelled it before she saw it. It was a scent she knew so well — that sharp metallic scent of freshly shed blood. She stumbled backwards to the living room.

"You don't want to see her?" a man's voice suddenly said behind her. She spun around in surprise, and saw a man dressed entirely in black — the very personification of death.

Where did he came from?

The man moved forward, and without thinking, Mizuki bolted into the bedroom, not even sparing a glance to the body on the floor. However, before she could get to hide herself, the man caught up to her, yanking her ponytail and pulling her to him.

"You're not going anywhere, brat," he said mockingly, and steered her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at the dead Tsubasa. "Take a look at your guardian."

Mizuki cannot turn away from the sight. Long forgotten memories started to resurface. Tsubasa's eyes were wide open, throat slashed open, bathed in her own blood. Seeing the gaping wound reminded her of her life in Nara.

_**"And that, Mizuki, is how to wield a knife. When you want to give someone a painful death, the knife is a good option to choose. It works beautifully. And quiet, too, unlike the gun. Your prey won't be able to do anything than to make stupid gurgling noises — a very pathetic way to die..."**_

"She put up quite a fight, but she's nothing in the end," the man said. He leaned and whispered in her ear. "She didn't even manage to use her gun."

Mizuki was not even listening to him. She was in another world, to a place from years before. Without warning, she threw her head back, smashing her skull into the man's face. It caught him by surprise, and along with the pain, his hold on her loosened. Mizuki didn't miss the opportunity, and ignored the throbbing of her own head as she lunged at the gun lying beside Tsubasa's hand.

_**"The best way to kill someone with a gun is to aim for the head. It will either kill them right away or turn them to some kind of a paralyzed idiot — either way, they will die**_."

The man stood up, blood flowing down his nose in a bright red stream. However, he was not the least bit alarmed at the gun in the girl's hands. Instead, he laughed when she aimed it to his head.

"Enough horsing around, kid. I don't have all day to play with you. Sure, you got me on the nose, certainly hurt my pride by that... To get injured by a kid..." he shook his head. "But that," he pointed to the gun in her hands, "that's going too far. Sure, you got spunk, but you can't be hoping to kill me with that?"

Mizuki lowered the gun a little. "Why would you say that?"

The man laughed again. "Are you fucking with me? I doubt you can even pull the trigger!"

The girl was unnaturally calm through it all, but the man was too busy laughing to even realize that a normal kid should be bawling her eyes out in a situation like this.

"Okay, playtime's over, hand it to me." He walked to her, putting himself right in front of girl. "You don't know how to use a gun."

_**"Let me show you how to shoot. You hold the gun like this, take your aim, and then —"**_

Then the girl grinned wickedly as she raised the gun again, aiming it dead center between his eyes. The look on her face froze the man in his tracks, and in an eerily cool and calm voice, Mizuki spoke, her finger on the trigger.

"Who told you that I don't?"

_**"—you pull the trigger."**_

* * *

When a dazed Mizuki appeared in front of the Residence gates, the guard on duty and the operator of the security cameras were in a total shock. When they informed Ryuunosuke about this, the man personally went outside to get the girl inside the house. Mizuki was in shock — her eyes were flat, lifeless. Worse, no amount of coaxing can get her to speak about what happened to her. The only words that came out of her mouth was "She's dead," after which she refused to talk anymore.

It was only until Kurei, the young man whom he had sent to check on Mizuki and Tsubasa's apartment that things came to light.

"Tsubasa's dead. Throat cut open. Must've been a few hours before sundown." Kurei took something from inside his coat pocket. It was a gun, which he handed to the older man.

"That was the weapon used to kill the perpetrator. Multiple bullet wounds, brain blown out. His throat was slashed open as well, but it was done when he was already dead. The knife was stuck in his mouth."

Ryuunosuke looked at the girl sleeping on the couch. "The man died after Tsubasa..?"

"Hai." Kurei lowered his eyes. "Mizuki was the one who finished him off."

* * *

After that incident, Mizuki was never the same cheerful and carefree child that she was. Due to the threat to her life, she came to live in the Residence, where she wandered around like a ghost, neither talking nor smiling. Something inside her had died that night. Even the butterflies in the garden who used to rest on her shoulders whenever she comes over during the weekends now refuse to even come within a feet of the girl.

Continuing her studies in a normal school was impossible, so is the idea of hiring a private tutor for her. Ryuunosuke was too busy to teach her himself, so he supplied her with textbooks and other learning materials to keep her busy. Soon, Mizuki spent most of her waking hours in the basement library, buried in books of every subject imaginable — English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Literature, Philosophy, Politics, Economics — most of which was far too advanced for kids her age. She taught herself music — how to read notes and play them on the piano and the flute. She learned the rules of shogi and chess, poker and other card games, learned how to paint and do calligraphy, even going as far as to dabble in gardening and cooking. Her brain was like a sponge that soaked up all the kinds of knowledge that its owner fed it.

This behavior of hers — this almost frantic and insanely fast pace of studying alarmed Ryuunosuke and the others. They were all wondering — why the hurry to learn everything in one go? In two years of doing such a routine, Mizuki has the intelligence level of a high school student. Not that she would exactly ace her exams, but just enough to be labeled as 'above-average'. When she reached that level, Mizuki revealed the reason as to why she was so eager to finish learning all those things. She came up to Kazehaya one day, and asked - or should I say, demanded - him to teach her martial arts. It seemed to him an innocent request from the young girl, who had just turned ten. Kazehaya agreed, just to quench the child's greed for knowledge. Unfortunately, he was sorely mistaken.

What followed was a whirlwind of training sessions at the Residence's dojo, where Mizuki spent the whole day practicing the things that Kazehaya taught her. From aikido to judo to karate to taekwondo to kung fu to wushu to kendo to ninjutsu — name it, she knows it. When Kazehaya was not around, she would drag another of the elites to teach her something new, thus the wide variety in her techniques. One of them trained her in using the knife and found that she had the natural affinity for the weapon. The gun she mastered later on, as she still has to develop the strength to use it. Once in a while, she would ask a question on how to interrogate a person, how to detonate bombs, how to effectively set up explosives, on and on, and she would listen in rapt attention and store every little piece of information in her already cluttered brain.

When they ran out of things to teach her, the girl began to challenge them to spar with her, and would hurl insults at them if they refuse, to the point that they would just have to agree to her request just to shut her up. More often than not, she would end up covered in bruises, to Ryuunosuke's annoyance when he learned of what she had been up to. After a nasty spar with Yasha, who was a bit childish himself and had given Mizuki a beating of her life, Ryuunosuke went to her room and asked his adoptive daughter why she was doing this to herself.

"Because I'm going to be an assassin when I grow up," she said, lying on her bed wrapped in an assortment of gauzes and casts that she resembled a mummy more than a human.

"I won't allow it." He couldn't. She still has the chance to live a normal life... So why would she —

"Then I'll become a rounin. I'll run away and become an assassin myself."

Ryuunosuke looked at her in disbelief. He could feel his annoyance growing to anger. "Do you even know what you're talking about? What you want to become?"

Instead of answering, the girl replied with a question of her own. "Have you forgotten who am I? Where I came from? How I lived before I got here?"

"Mizuki, you can't —"

"I am a killer. I'm born to be a killer. Can't you see that?" Her tone was almost pleading.

"Fine," Ryuunosuke sighed. "But first you have ti prove yourself capable of being one."

"Hai."

And prove herself she did. She trained day in and day out, practicing her skills, trying out new techiniques, making her own. When spring rolled in, in a move that's both arrogant and reckless, twelve-year old Mizuki challenged one of the class-A operatives, who was six years her senior and a load of experience to boot, along with a considerable amount of hatred to her person, to a duel to the death. She made without Ryuunosuke's knowledge, for if she did, the man would not allow her to do it even though it was completely legit among the other operatives. But Mizuki wants to prove herself, and a duel to the death is much more convincing than just seeing who can draw the first blood. The match was nearing its end when Ryuunosuke arrived, just in time to see the girl, who was barely in her teens, break the neck of her opponent, ending the match in her victory.

And thus started her career as the youngest assassin that ever graced the halls of the Residence.

*** End of Flashback***

Mizuki closed her eyes. It was rare of her to reminisce about the past, as it's not exactly one worth remembering. Fond memories are few and far in between, and are always associated with something horrible in the end. She sighed as she looked up at the sky once more. Going through such unpleasant things even if its confined in her head always leaves her agitated. Mizuki calmed herself down and quietly released the breath that she's been holding.

_I've no time to be dawdling out here,_ she thought. She got out of the garden chair and went back in. After locking everything, Mizuki went to bed. As she slipped in between the sheets, her mind was totally blank and not long after, she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Mizuki woke up the next morning at exactly six in the morning. She washed her face before going out to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Looking into the refrigerator, she took out some eggs, a green pepper, and some butter. She sliced the green pepper then sauteed them before mixing them to the eggs that she'd whipped in a bowl. She heated the butter in the frying pan and made green pepper omelettes. She topped this off with toast and took the whole meal into the dining table along with a cup of black coffee.

After eating breakfast and washing everything, the chartreusette immediately started packing her things. It was an easy task — all she had to bring was her clothes and her weapons that she does not deposit back at the Residence's armory. Moving from one place to another was a normal event for her — she had always lived a nomadic life, now that she thought about it. The longest time she ever spent in one place was three months.

In just an hour, Mizuki was ready to leave. Everything she owned was packed neatly in two-medium sized travel luggages — all her clothes, shoes, knives, guns, communication devices, along with the brown envelope. There are no personal items to speak of. On the bed were the clothes that she'd be wearing for later this afternoon. There was no need to clean the apartment. With nothing to do, Mizuki took a can of pineapple juice and lounged on the sofa, taking sips of the cold drink as she let her eyes wander all over the apartment. Nothing in the room held traces of her existence, nothing to say that she had lived there even for just a couple of weeks. That fact would've bothered most people, but then again, Mizuki was not like most people. In fact, she prefers things this way. She never intend to leave a single trace of her being to any place or person that's mission-related. Not that she's ever been to a place or met a person outside of missions.

When lunch time rolled in, Mizuki fixed herself a green salad and munched on an apple, downing everything with iced tea. Afterwards, she took a shower and donned her all-black outfit. It was 2:00 in the afternoon when the doorbell rang. It was Kazehaya, who will drive Mizuki and Ryuunosuke to the Akashi manor. He carried her luggages for her. Standing by the door, she turned for one last look, as she always do to every place she'd stayed at. This would be the last time she'll see this 's no coming back. As a rule, Mizuki only moves forward, just like the hands of the clock.

"Goodbye," she murmured, bidding farewell to the apartment as well as to the self that had lived there even for just a brief period of time.


	5. Chapter 5

*** V. You Can't Choose How You Were Born, But You Can Choose How You Die***

When Akashi got home from school, he noticed that there was another limousine parked beside the one that his father uses.

'Guests,' he thought.

The butler greeted him at the front door with a bow. "Young master, your father is expecting you in the tea garden."

Akashi nodded, then went straight to his room, took a short shower and put on formal clothing. No doubt this meeting concerns business, thus the need for such attire.

When he went to the meeting's venue, he was a bit surprised to see a familiar person sitting with her back to him, alongside another man whom he recognized as Ryuunosuke Jin, head of an internationally-renowned security services provider based in Japan.

"Seijuurou, you arrived just in time," his father said as he reached their table.

"Good afternoon, father, Ryuunosuke-san" he said, taking the seat across the lime-haired girl, who did not even spared a glance at him.

The man nodded at him. "Good afternoon, Seijuurou."

"I'm afraid I don't know the name of your companion, Ryuunosuke-san," Akashi said, looking at the chartreusette.

The man smiled. "Ah, I see. I apologize. I forgot that she does not make it a habit of introducing herself to every person she comes across on missions. This is Fujiwara Mizuki, your bodyguard."

* * *

The door opened just as Akashi was about to knock. Mizuki stared at his fist that was still raised in mid-air.

"I came to get you for breakfast," Akashi said, lowering his arm to his side. Dressed in Rakuzan's white-and-blue uniform, Mizuki looks like a normal high school student.

"There's no need to do that. I know the schedule," she said as she stepped outside and closed the door with a soft click. "After you."

Akashi greeted his father when they met at the stairs, while Mizuki did nothing of the sort. In the dining room, Akashi sat on his father's right, while Mizuki sat on the man's left.

"Jin has told me that this is your first time in a normal high school. If you have any questions, Seijuurou here will help you," Akashi Seito said, looking at her with guarded eyes.

"That's unnecessary. I am here to keep an eye on your son, not the other way around," was the girl's monotone reply.

"If you say so," the older Akashi said.

_Just as stubborn as Jin had said,_ he thought._ But at least she prioritizes her mission above her own issues._

They finished their breakfast, and they went back to their rooms to complete their preparations. Mizuki was already waiting for him downstairs, her bag slung on her shoulder. They went outside and rode in the limousine, sitting side by side in the backseat of the car. It was a silent trip, both staring straight in front. Akashi was pleased that most of the students arrive at eight in the morning, so when they arrived at Rakuzan's front gates at seven-thirty, there were only a few people to gawk at them.

"Since you're a new student, you will have to introduce yourself first thing in the morning. Come, we'll go to the faculty office first, and I'll leave you to our adviser. Just follow everything he tells you to do," Akashi explained as they walked down the sakura-lined pathway.

Mizuki allowed herself to be led by the redhead to the faculty office. He knocked on the door and opened it, revealing several men and women sitting on their respective desks, preparing their lessons for the first day of formal classes. The two approached a middle-aged man with glasses and a pleasant smile on his face.

"Kageyama-sensei," Akashi said, getting the man's attention.

"Akashi! What can I do for you...?" Then he noticed the girl beside the redhead. "...Ah, the new student!" He rummaged through some papers on his desk. "Fujiwara Mizuki, right?" he asked, looking at his class record.

"Hai," Mizuki answered.

"Welcome to Rakuzan! I am Kageyama Akio, and I'll be your homeroom adviser and Physics teacher for this year," the man said warmly.

"I leave Fujiwara-san in your capable hands, sensei. I'll be going now." Akashi nodded at Mizuki, and went out the office.

For almost an hour, Mizuki sat in the faculty office, and she was more or less acquainted with all the teachers of Rakuzan. No one seemed to be a suspicious person — everyone was nice, though some have sour looks on their faces. They were those who were feared by their students, and she found out that one of them was her Japanese History teacher.

Ten minutes before eight-thirty, Kageyama-sensei called her and they walked to Class 2-1, which was in Rakuzan's east building. Her adviser gave her his instructions when they reached the door of her classroom.

"Wait here for a while, Fujiwara. Then when I tell you to come in, please do so, and write your name on the board and introduce yourself to the whole class."

"Understood."

The bell rang, and the man went on inside. Mizuki heard the class greet him on Akashi's lead, and the man greeted them back, and made a few announcements. Finally, he went to the part about having a new student.

"Please come in!"

Everyone turned their heads to the door, and watched as a lime-haired girl with golden eyes walked in gracefully. Their adviser handed her a piece of chalk, and in neat kanji, she wrote her name on the board.

'Fuji (Wisteria) + wara (field)'

'Mi (Beautiful) + zuki (moon)'

She then faced the class. All eyes were on her.

"Hajimemashite. O namae wa Fujiwara Mizuki desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

Kageyama-sensei then wrote the final seating arrangement, and Mizuki was given the window seat in the front row. Akashi sat beside her. The cleaning groups were decided by row, so they were also in the same group. After a few more announcements, their adviser finally left them as their teacher for the first period came in.

That moring, they had Mathematics B, Home Economics, Art, and English. Nothing much happened during their classes, given that it's the first day, so it's the usual introductions, discussing the subject and the syllabus of what they will be studying for the rest of the year, class policies, grading systems, so and so forth. Mizuki was staring out the window practically the whole time, twirling a pen in her fingers.

When lunch came, Akashi and Mizuki went to the school cafeteria together as both do not have their bento with them. On the way, Akashi sent a message to the regulars of the basketball team to meet him at lunch in the cafeteria for a meeting on the tryouts that would take place later in the afternoon.

They had already ordered their meals and were now only waiting for the others to arrive. Mizuki, Akashi found out, was not really that bad when it comes to other people. It's like she reserves that side of her to him, more or less.

"Sei-chan!" Mibuchi Reo greeted him enthusiastically, announcing their arrival, setting his tray of food on the table and sitting beside the redhead. The rest of the team followed: Hayama Kotarou, Nebuya Eikichi, and Mayuzumi Chihiro. Mizuki observed them as they greeted Akashi.

"Akashi." Nebuya and Mayuzumi said in greeting, sitting down across from him.

"Yo, Captain!" Hayama said. Then noticing the other person on their table, sitting on Akashi's other side, he jumped back and pointed at Mizuki. "Waaaah! There's a girl!"

Gold eyes widened slightly at the blonde guy's outburst.

"You're noisy as usual, Ko-chan," Mibuchi said, mildly irritated. Then he leaned forward with a smile. "A girl, you said? So finally, someone sees me as the maiden that I really am!"

"Don't be stupid, Mibuchi. There's no maiden here on this table. Quit joking around, Hayama. Let's eat, I'm hungry," Nebuya retorted, seeing only the enormous pile of food on his tray, not paying the least attention to his surroundings.

"Akashi, who's the girl?" Mayuzumi asked, surprised as well, looking at the girl who was staring at them in confusion.

"Eh? Even Mayu-chan?" Mibuchi asked.

Mayuzumi shot him an incredulous look. "We're not talking about you. We're talking about her." He was looking at Akashi's other side.

"Oi, Gorilla, pay attention!" Hayama half-shouted at the tanned center.

"Shut up, Hayama!"

"'Her'?" Mibuchi furrowed his brows in confusion, then craned his neck to look to where Hayama was pointing at a while ago.

Akashi, unbeknown to his teammates, was getting annoyed as time passes. He slammed his chopsticks on the table, making everyone except Mizuki to turn to him and shiver as he gave them a sickly sweet smile.

"Will everyone _**please **_settle down?"

The four males froze in place, then as if struck by lightning, scrambled to do what their captain ordered them to do. They shut their mouths and sat properly, backs straight like a rod.

"Good." Akashi raised his chin slightly. "This is Fujiwara Mizuki, a new student here in Rakuzan. She's my classmate and I've been assigned to show her around the school."

"Kawaii~!" Mibuchi squealed upon seeing her.

And Mizuki," he said, making the girl look at him with a questioning look. "These are the regulars of the basketball team."

She looked at each of them, prompting them to introduce themselves to her. Mibuchi went first.

"Mibuchi Reo, third year! You can call me Reo-nee~!"

"Reo-_nee_?" Mizuki tilted her head in confusion.

"Don't mind him. For reasons unknown, Mibuchi insists that he is a 'maiden', even though it's obvious that he is not." The gray-haired man said. "Mayuzumi Chihiro, a third year. All of us are, except for Akashi."

"Mayu-chan, don't be mean~"

The blonde who pointed at her earlier made a V-sign and grinned at her, showing a lone pointed canine tooth. "Hayama Kotaro, yoroshiku!"

"Nebuya Eikichi," said the buff guy with the enormous pile of food. "Now can we eat?"

"All you ever think about is food," Hayama grumbled.

Everyone said "Itadakimasu" before digging into their lunch. Akashi discussed with the rest of them the plans for the tryouts after class and when everyone was given their respective tasks, they went on to talk with Mizuki, who had been quietly listening to their conversations about their club activity.

"So Mi-chan, what club are you planning to join?" Mibuchi asked, looking sideways at her.

Akashi was expecting her to ignore Mibuchi, but to his surprise, she actually answered. "I don't know."

"Do you like basketball, Fujiwara-chan?" Hayama asked.

"Not exactly." she replied in her monotone voice.

"Aww," the blonde said in disappointment. "And here I thought that we can recruit you as a manager for our team since Higussan had already graduated... What do you say, Captain?"

Akashi calmly finished chewing his food before answering. "It's up to Mizuki to decide whether or not to join our club as the team's manager. Rakuzan has a lot of other clubs that might be of more interest to her, after all. We'll just wait and see."

"Say, Chibi, what's your favorite food?" Nebuya asked next, earning a smack on the arm from Mibuchi.

"Don't call her that! That's not how you treat a lady!" the raven-haired male hissed.

"Pizzas." Mizuki replied coolly. "What's yours, _Kyojin_?"

At her nickname for Nebuya, Hayama guffawed loudly, Mibuchi and Mayuzumi snickered quietly, while Akashi's eyes lit up with amusement.

"You underestimated your opponent, Nebuya."

"Hahaha! A giant gorilla!"

Nebuya snorted. "You got me there. I don't have a favorite food in particular — as long as it tastes good, then fine by me."

"Do you like books, Fujiwara-san?" It was Mayuzumi who posed this question.

"Aa," was her short reply.

"What's your favorite novel?"

"The Tale of the Heike."

Her answer surprised everyone, including Akashi. He never thought that someone like her would actually have time nor the interest to read such old literature?

"What do you like about The Tale of the Heike, Mi-chan? It's —"

"I don't even know what it's all about,"Nebuya said.

Mizuki look at them in puzzlement then placed her chopsticks down. She paused for a moment then she began to chant a decisive part of the final sea battle in the original verse:

**The Genji warriors had boarded the Heike ships to find**

**The sailors and helmsmen pierced by arrows or slashed by swords,**

**Their corpses lying in the bilge, leaving no one to steer.**

**Aboard a small boat, New Middle Counselor Tomomori**

**Approached the Imperial Ship and said:**

"**And so it seems to have come to this.**

**Heave everything unsightly into the ocean."**

**He ran from stem to stern, sweeping, scrubbing,**

**Gathering litter, cleaning everything with his own hands.**

**The ladies-in-waiting asked, "How goes the battle, Counselor?"**

"**Soon you will behold those marvelous men of the east,"**

**He replied with caustic laughter.**

"**How dare you jest at a time like this?" the women cried.**

**Observing this state of affairs, the Nun of Second Rank**

**Proceeded to carry out the plan**

**Upon which she had settled long before.**

**Hooding herself under two dark-gray robes,**

**She lifted high the hems of her glossy silk split skirt,**

**Tucked the Imperial Bead Strand under one arm,**

**Thrust the Imperial Sword under her sash,**

**And took the Child Emperor himself in her arms.**

"**Mere woman though I am, I shall never fall into enemy hands.**

**I shall go wherever His Majesty goes.**

**All you women whose hearts are with him,**

**Follow us without delay." So saying,**

**She strode to the gunwale.**

**His Majesty had turned but eight that year,**

**Yet he exhibited a maturity far beyond his age.**

**His handsome countenance radiated an Imperial glow,**

**And his glossy black hair could cascade down his back past the waist.**

**Confused by all the commotion, he asked,**

"**Grandmother, where are you taking me?"**

**She turned to the innocent young Sovereign and,**

**Fighting back her tears, she said,**

"**Do you not know yet what is happening?**

**For having followed the Ten Precepts in your previous life,**

**You were born to be a Lord commanding**

**Ten thousand charioteers,**

**But now, dragged down by an evil karma,**

**Your good fortune has exhausted itself.**

**Turn first now to the east,**

**And say your farewell to the Grand Shrine of Ise.**

**Then turn toward the west and call upon Amida Buddha**

**That his heavenly hosts may guide you to the Western Pure Land.**

**This country is no better than a scattering of millet,**

**A place where hearts know only sadness.**

**I am taking you, therefore, to a wonderful pure land called 'Paradise.' "**

**Her tears escaped as she spoke thus to him.**

**His Majesty wore a robe of olive-tinged gray,**

**And his hair was bound on either side in boyish loops.**

**Tears streaming from his eyes, he joined his darling hands.**

**First, he bowed toward the east**

**And spoke his farewell to the Grand Shrine of Ise.**

**Then he turned to the west and, once he had called upon Amida Buddha,**

**The Nun of Second Rank clasped him to her breast and,**

**Comforting him with the words,**

"**There is another capital beneath the waves,"**

**She plunged ten thousand fathoms beneath the sea.**

Listening to her recite the story with his eyes closed, Akashi felt as though he were hearing it the traditional way, chanted by a blind priest accompanying himself on the lute, and he was reminded anew that The Tale of the Heike was a narrative poem handed down through an oral tradition. Mizuki's normal style of speaking was extremely flat, lacking almost all accent and intonation, but when she launched into the tale, her voice became startlingly strong, rich, and colorful, as if something had taken possession of her.

It left everyone — including him — speechless.

Akashi recalled which part it was that she had just recited to them. "The Battle of Dan-no-ura," he stated. "One of the best part of the story."

"Aa," Mizuki agreed, then went back to her eating.

"That was amazing," Mayuzumi said, stunned. "How did you manage to memorize such a long passage?"

"Mi-chan is sooo amazing!" Mibuchi eyes was sparkling. "From now on, you're officially my imouto!"

Mizuki looked at him blankly. _What_?

"Oi, you're scaring the girl with your weirdness," Nebuya pointed out.

As the two bickered, with Hayama joining in as well, Akashi sighed. He glanced at the girl who was also watching the scene in front of her in hidden amusement. She was indeed full of surprises.

* * *

Their afternoon classes consists of Oral Communication and Physical Education, and it was mostly introductions. After an early dismissal, Mizuki followed Akashi to the gym after they finished cleaning their classroom. While Akashi changed into his gym clothes, Mizuki sat on one of the courtside benches. Glancing at the clock above the door, Mizuki learned that there's at least 20 minutes before the rest arrive.

Since he came early, Akashi decided to start setting up the gym for the tryouts later. Mizuki was doing her job checking out the whole gym — the storage area, the showers, the lockers, the spectators' area. When she came down, she saw Akashi carrying several of those orange-colored cones. Near the door of the storage area stood a few more, and she went to get them, wordlessly bringing them to Akashi who was setting those he had brought with him into some sort of a obstacle course.

"Thank you," Akashi said, looking at her. "You don't have to help, this are my duties to the club."

She shrugged. "I've nothing to do."

"Fine, then." And so the redhead let her assist him in the set-up, and pretty soon they were more or less finished. The only thing left was to check the balls for air. Mizuki volunteered to do the pumping while Akashi would hold the ball and tell her to stop when the ball had had the correct amount of air in it.

"I appreciate your assistance." With her help, it took him half the time it would have taken if he had done the whole thing himself.

"It was nothing," Mizuki said, staring at the work that they've done.

Silence reigned between them for a while. Akashi was the one to speak first.

"I wasn't able to thank you for saving me that night." Mizuki's face was blank when she turned to look at her charge. Their eyes met. "Arigato."

Mizuki waved the topic away. "It was a job that needs to be done." There was something in the tone of her voice when she said that.

"Hmmm... How long have you been working as an operative?"

"Four years ago."

There was a pause as Akashi waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he decided not to pry and moved on to his next question.

"Do you mind if I ask how you ended up like this?"

"I was born into it."

"Did you ever thought of doing something other than that?"

"Not everyone has the freedom to choose what they want. You of all people should know that." She looked pointedly at Akashi, and the redhead found himself arrested by those enchanting golden eyes.

"It's as they say. You can't choose how you were born, but you can choose how you die. I prefer to die doing this." Her voice was hollow.

Akashi doesn't have a reply to that.

Fortunately, Coach Shirogane Eiji arrived, followed by the rest of the first string members who will help in facilitating the event. Mizuki retreated to the spectators' area and watched the proceedings from above.

Everyone was gathered around the coach and Akashi as they divided the tasks among them. For the preliminary try-outs, they will be testing each individual's basic skills - passing, shooting, dribbling, defending. These would be followed by a series of short matches. Those who would be chosen will come back tomorrow for another series of tests to see which string they will belong to. Each of the regulars were given a post to supervise: Mayuzumi on passing, Mibuchi on shooting, Hayama on dribbling, Nebuya on defense, and Akashi to watch over the matches. The rest would assist the applicants in each post, telling them what to do, and answering if they have questions.

Many aspiring club members showed up during the tryouts, but only half made it. After all, Akashi can only accept the best — the others can try again next year.

"—ko, Souji Araki, Nobunaga Shimazaki, and Takagi Akito. To those whose names are not called, you can still try again next year. As for those whose names are names are mentioned, congratulations. Come back tomorrow for the categorization test. Good work everyone. Dismissed."

* * *

That night, Akashi cannot stop thinking about the chartreusette's words.

_What could she ever mean by that?_


	6. Chapter 6

*** VI. A Capable, Patient,Unfeeling Machine ***

**DIISCLAIMER:**

•• _**I don't own Kuroko no Basuke. ••**_

Akashi was already waiting outside, gazing at the rose garden, when he felt — rather than heard — her approaching. He turned around, only for the words to die on his lips.

"I thought you're never coming out of your..." The words trailed as he took in the person standing before him.

Long black hair in huge waves casacading down her back. Eyes outlined in glittering black eyeliner and framed by smoky shades of eyeshadow. Lips plump in shiny red lipstick. Black halter dress with slits reaching up to her thigh on both sides. Black opera gloves. Black stilettos. Diamond necklace.

The now disguised Mizuki had a sullen look on her face, like she had just undergone a very taxing ordeal. "The wig is not very cooperative."

Akashi cleared his throat. So she surprised him once again. Somehow, Mizuki had this ability to render him speechless. "Well, it's not like we really have to be on time."

They walked over to the waiting limousine and Akashi beat her at getting the door. When he saw her with the closest thing to a pout on her pretty face, he barely contained his laughter. "If you please, my lady," he said, gesturing for her to get inside the car. Mizuki entered, slightly huffing, then moved to the end of the seat to give him space so that he won't have to go to the other side. Clearly she wasn't one to let others do things for her. She prefers doing them herself and by herself alone.

The typical lone wolf type.

At his command, the driver started the car and set off to their destination — a private estate in the village of Ohara. They were going to attend an engagement party between the heirs of two average-class families. Akashi took the invitation card from his coat pocket.

_Ah, the heiress of the Toyozawa Enterprise and the scion of the Michitaka Corporation. So a merger it is, between an average business company and a bankrupt one. The daughter becomes the payment for the parents' debt, then_.

He recalled the Toyozawa heiress — a shy and timid girl who tends to stutter everytime she opens her mouth, except when the topic is painting. It was her passion, and her dream was to become a professional painter someday, and own an art boutique, Akashi remembered her telling him during a conversation he had with her when they both shared a table in a party years ago.

_What a pity._

Mizuki saw a bitter smile form on Akashi's lips. "Is something the matter?"

He shook his head, eyes still on the paper in his hands. "Nothing significant. I was just thinking of a bird who was caged before it even learned to spread its wings."

"I see." And she did, more than Akashi thought she did.

* * *

'Ishikawa Izumi' — that was Mizuki's name for the night, the 'daughter of one of the more covert members of the elite society', thus no one would ask her anything more except for her name and none would question the fact that she was chosen as the Akashi heir's consort, as most would automatically think that it was his father's doing, which was right for the most part. As Akashi went around greeting those who were worthy of such recognition, Mizuki, on the other hand, was intently making observations on the people around them.

Finally, they headed to their table which they shared with Akashi Seito and Ryuunosuke Jin, along with their respective bodyguards — Kazehaya, Kurei, and Yasha — who were disguised just like Mizuki. Yasha whistled when he saw Mizuki in her cover, and looked at her appreciatively as Akashi — ever the gentlemen, much to the girl's annoyance — helped her into her seat.

"Care to introduce us to the pretty lady with you, Akashi-sama?" he said, more to Mizuki than to the son of his current employer.

The now-onyxhaired Mizuki glared at him venomously, and Yasha snickered. Kazehaya rolled his eyes, and Ryuunosuke sighed. Apparently, Mizuki's relationship with the childish operative had never improved over the years — in fact, it got even worse. When Mizuki was still in training, Yasha, who had not yet earned his elite title by then, would always pick on her and tease her until the girl would snap and send a barrage of knives in his direction. Yasha specializes in evasion, but Mizuki, an expert on knife-throwing, had managed to give him a scar on near his eye, missing the actual organ by mere inches. Else he would have been blind in one eye by now.

"I won't mind giving you another scar, you know," Mizuki said in a low snarl. "Maybe I'll gouge your eyes out as well."

"Mizuki, as much as I agree with you on Yasha's childishness, I won't appreciate having one of my top brass to be incapacitated by another of his own rank, so keep your knives sheathed for now — you'll have plenty of time for them later, but not on Yasha, I'm afraid."

Akashi gave an amused smile as Mizuki scoffed. As if to add fuel to the fire, he took her hand and gave it a feather-light kiss. "Everyone, meet Ishikawa Izumi, who was so kind to be my date for tonight."

She yanked her hand from his grip, and her adoptive father raised an eyebrow at their interaction. He turned to the Akashi head. "I never thought that Seijuurou has this side in him."

Akashi Seito shook his head. "Seijuurou can be an imp when he wants to."

To which the heir replied with a smirk.

The engagement party went on smoothly, although the speeches bored the hell out of Mizuki, though not as much as she was pretty much occupied with spotting those who were sent to kill Akashi, as was indicated by their intel. Someone had ordered for the assassination of one Akashi Seijuurou during this gathering.

She figured it out just before dinner was served. On a table on their left was a clean-shaven man that had been looking at Akashi Seijuurou through the rim of his glasses, and behind her, using her mirror to get the man's reflection, was another hired killer who was subtly stealing glances at the redhead seated beside her. She named them as Black and Gray, respectively, based on the color of their suits.

So far, there were two of them. She was not yet sure if they were the only ones who were sent to get Akashi, but it would be safer to assume that there were more. And something about the man behind them, the one she labeled as Gray, bothers her, as if she ought to recognize him or not...

The meal was totally scrumptious, but she wasn't able to enjoy it thoroughly. Then she noticed that Black had not yet returned from his 'trip to the restroom'. Her suspicions were confirmed when Black reappered as a waiter, his glasses gone, and a brown wig covered his short black hair. He was approaching their table, a wine bottle in his hand. Probably a poisoned one.

Akashi Seijuurou saw her looking at something across the room, but before he could look at it himself, the girl suddenly asked him out of the blue:

"How good are you at acting?"

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"

"Just answer, damn it."

When he didn't, Mizuki hissed, "I never knew that you can be sometimes slow on the uptake." She shrugged her shoulders. "You' re not really that great as you claim yourself to be."

The redhead gave her desired reaction. His heterochromatic eyes flashed dangerously in response to her scathing remarks. He opened his mouth to retort, but she cut him off by rising up from her seat suddenly, surprising everyone on the table when she slammed her hands on its surface.

Her head was bowed down, her bangs hiding her eyes, but they all saw the tears streaking down her porcelain cheeks. Then she looked at a very surprised Akashi Seijuurou, and said in a voice that's broken and pained, "We're over."

_What_? Akashi's eyes widened as he watched her storm out of her seat with head hung low. In her 'rush', she didn't notice the waiter and the two collided, and there was a muffled crash as the bottle in the waiter's hands fell to the marble floors.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, then ran outside the door.

Everyone's attention turned to the waiter who stood rooted in his spot, lips pale. He immediately set to work cleaning up the mess, eager to get out of sight of the guests who were watching him disdainfully. _How clumsy_, they all seem to say. He was out of there in just a minute.

Meanwhile, Akashi's head was still reeling from Mizuki's actions just moments ago. What were her last words?

_"We're over."_

Come again?

_"We're over."_

Isn't that what one says when they are breaking up with their lover? And her gold eyes, wet with tears —

Yasha coughed, the first to recover from their collective shock. "Man, it's been a while since I experienced that one. Kurei, remind me to remind that little demon to give us a warning when she pulls something like that again. I would hate to die from a heart attack, okay?"

"So it was all an act?" Akashi Seito asked, composing himself. He was just as bewildered as his companions at their table.

Kurei answered his master. "Yes, Akashi-san. Part of her plan, I assure you."

"Seijuurou, I apologize. Mizuki works that way," Ryuunosuke said, looking at the Akashi heir.

"I see," the youngest one in their group answered, not quite as calm as before. To think that Mizuki played them all like that... And there's that dull ache in his chest when she looked at him and said those two words to him — her teary eyes, trembling lips, broken voice — Akashi Seijuurou had never been on the end of a breakup, much less in a relationship, but after Mizuki's stunt, somehow he feels like he just had his first experience on the subject.

* * *

She found the man in the secluded part of the garden, talking on the phone in a low voice. Mizuki crept in closer as she listened to the man report to his boss.

"It won't happen again, boss. Yes, yes." A pause. "Yes, boss: tell Kaitou to take in charge." The man gulped. "Absolutely. No room for failure, understood. The Akashi heir will be dead before dawn."

The conversation ended, and the man turned to go back inside. He was back in his original black suit, and the wig was now discarded somewhere. He took a few steps, then stopped, looking cautiously around him. After a time, he shrugged and resumed walking.

That's when Mizuki burst out from the shadows and one swift motion, she twisted the arm of the man in front of her and pressed a knife to his throat.

"What the―"

"Don't move. Don't make a sound. Make a noise, and I'll kill you." Mizuki's voice was low, heavy, and cold. It was the voice of a murderer. It agitated fear inside the person, and sealed any attempt at a struggle.

"Tell me, who sent you here?" she whispered in the man's ear. The man stood stock-still, unable to move with a knife against his throat.

"I-I can't tell you that," he replied. Mizuki huffed.

"I don't like repeating myself." She pressed the blade further, drawing blood.

"I can't tell you anything! If I do that, then —"

"You'll die either way."

Even before finishing her sentence, Mizuki had spun around nimbly and had ground her fist firmly into the man's stomach. She pushed him forward and he tripped over his own feet. The blade of in Mizuki's hand swung down upon his neck. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

The man crumpled to the ground without uttering a single sound. Mizuki dragged the man's lifeless body off to the side of the path, concealing it behind some thick bushes. She searched through his pockets and fished out a wallet, two empty glass vials, and the phone that he had used earlier. After rifling through the contents of the wallet, she found nothing of importance in it and tossed it aside. The glass vials probably contained the poison — it still held traces of a light yellow liquid. She didn't bother keeping it; it's a common poison used by people in her trade — one without a known antidote.

In the end, the phone was the only one that proved useful to her. It contained two phone numbers, a log full of incoming calls from the last two days, no messages and voicemails. Still, she forwarded the numbers to their Intel people for them to track it, and went back inside, just in time for the after-dinner dance.

For the first dance, everyone was encouraged to join in. Couples were made to form a series of circles, where they would first switch partners from within, then when the cycle was complete, then they would swing their partners to another circle — on and on until the first song ends. Since 'Izumi' had 'broken up' with Akashi, she approached Kurei to be her partner for the dance, and dragged him to the circle beside the one Akashi was in, along with the other assassin, Gray.

"I was supposed to be the one asking you for a dance, you know," the russet-haired bodyguard told her as they positioned themselves.

"I doubt you would," she said.

"Of course, I will." The older male laughed softly. "Kazehaya was expecting you to go to him, though. His 'big brother' pride must've been hurt when you chose me instead."

"Hmp." The song was already starting, and Mizuki curtsied to Kurei, who in turn bowed to her, and they began to waltz to the sound of the violin.

* * *

Akashi was paired with one of the vain daughters of a major company, and his head was already spinning with her idle chatter. Add to that her shameless flirting with him in her very revealing dress, he has half a mind to shut her mouth once and for all.

After all, Akashi prefer girls with dignity, and the one in front of him was seriously lacking that one crucial trait.

He saw Mizuki re-enter the hall, glancing at him for a fraction of a second before going over to one of his father's bodyguards, the one named Kurei. In his few interactions with the man, Kurei was a soft-spoken man with a mild countenance, in sharp contrast with his counterpart — the blonde-haired Yasha (who reminds him of Kise and Hayama — Akashi is now believing that hair color has something to do with a person's attitude). Yasha is more of the active one, with Kurei working in the scenes as the brains of the mission. He saw Kurei smile at Mizuki patronizingly, and he suddenly realized that Mizuki acts less hostile when it comes to other people. Watching her interact with his teammates and their classmates, Akashi was time and again made aware of the difference of how she treats him compared to them. And somehow this fact doesn't sit well with him.

An indescribable feeling in his chest for a fleting moment came and passed just as quickly as it came.

* * *

Akashi retired to their table after the third dance. His father was there along with some other businessmen. Ryuunosuke and the bodyguards were nowhere in sight. The heir sighed as he felt a slight headache coming on. Around his table, he listened as his father and some guests talked about arranged marriages and the likes. The redhead was relieved that their company don't need those things. How unfortunate it would be for the one forcefully engaged to him. It somehow sickens him how this people can do that to their children — using them as political tools. His head throbbed. All his dance partners were all chatty spoiled heiresses and they irritated the hell out of him.

He excused himself from the table and went out to the garden. Illuminated by the light of the full moon, the place looks enchanted. There was a huge privet maze with a small pond and fountain at the center. He was still gazing at the scenery when he heard someone approach him from behind.

"If it isn't the Akashi heir."

Akashi was caught unaware. He turned and saw a man behind him. He could only make out his face and hair, the rest of his body was concealed by the darkness where he stood.

"Who are you and what do you need from me?" Akashi asked, eyes narrowed as he regarded the stranger before him. His instincts tell him that this man is dangerous, and that he should run, but his pride prevented him from doing so.

The man smirked, and the next thing Akashi knew was that the man had a gun in his hands, aimed at him. "You don't need to know my name. As for my purpose, it's very simple."

The smirk turned to a full blown grin.

"I'm here to kill you."

* * *

"Green suits you better." Kurei said silently to his companion as they went back to the table.

"Can't expose myself like that." Her face was blank. All of a sudden, she stopped walking, then scanned her surroundings with a sharp eye.

"Something wrong?" Kurei asked.

"Akashi's missing."

* * *

Akashi's eyes widened. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as the man grinned sadistically as he pulled the trigger. He saw a flash of black, heard the sound of metal whizzing through the air, felt something warm and wet splatter on his cheek, heard the sickening sound of torn flesh followed by a pained cry, and then a heavy thud as something heavy fell to the ground.

"Let's get out of here." a girl's voice hissed, making the world to turn in its normal pace. It was Mizuki. Her hand clutched tightly at her upper arm, blood seeping through her wound and through her fingers, trailing down her skin in liquid crimson.

"Let's tend to your wound first." Akashi blurted out, actually concerned at the amount of blood that flowed from her wound. At this rate, she'll die of blood loss.

"Later when we arrived at a secure place." Her voice was steady — nothing's changed, even her face was blank as ever. Just how much pain can she hold in?

With a shake of her head, her black wig came off, revealing her long green tresses. She took a step towards the direction of the parking lot when a firm hand on her shoulder held her in place.

"I said no."

"Akash —!"

A finger placed on her lips silenced her, cutting off her protest. The redhead used his handkerchief to bandage her wound. He worked on her arm as gently as he could, taking care that he doesn't jostle her too much. Through the entire process, Mizuki hadn't spoken a single word. She just stood there, frozen on her feet. Her eyes snapped back to attention when Akashi told her that he was done and that they can now leave. Akashi watched from the corner of his eyes as she stared at her now bandaged arm. Her hand absently patted the knot, as if unsure of what to do with it, and then she shook her head lightly. But what surprised him was when she quietly muttered a word that made him smile unconsciously.

"Arigatō."


	7. Chapter 7

*** VII. I Don't Have A Thing - Not Even A Soul ***

Akashi looked out the balcony window on the east wing of the Akashi manor, taking a breather from the paperwork given to him by his father. It was a day after that incident, and life remained unchanged for him and his father; he was getting busier as the school festival is near, and his father was of course, busy expanding their business empire.

He gazed at the darkening horizon, and spied a certain person who was doing katas instead of lying in her room. Mildly annoyed, he frowned as he watched her move to target practice on one of the cherry trees in the courtyard.

_The night they returned, the redhead had firmly dragged her to her room, and ordered her to stay put while he called for the family doctor to tend to her. He was sure that he was acting out of character when he did all those things for her, but he honestly didn't care. Something about feeling concerned and protective about the chartreusette..._

_When he returned to her room later that night, she had already fallen asleep, already in her nightgown, which Akashi noted was also black. Her wound was now properly bandaged and wrapped. She must have been exhausted, he thought as he gazed at her face. She looked so peaceful lying there, not a trace of the killing machine that he had seen just a couple of hours ago._

_The redhead lingered a while in the doorway, lost in his thoughts. He saw her move in her sleep, turning to her side — luckily the uninjured one — and cuddled the pillow beside her, mouth slightly open. Akashi smiled at at the sight. He approached her and leaned down. He whispered a soft "Good night" to the girl and left silently, turning the lights off as he went out._

He returned to the matter at hand. "She still needs to rest."

* * *

"Mizuki."

The sudden appearance of the redhead behind her caused the aforementioned girl to release the knife too soon, thus missing its target — a falling sakura blossom. The flower fell unharmed to the ground, joining several of its own kind that carpeted the grounds of the Akashi manor in a sea of white and pink petals.

"What do you need, Akashi?" she asked, slightly annoyed. _That should've been my 26th hit. Tch, _she thought as she retrieved the knife that had embedded itself at the trunk of the cherry tree.

"You're supposed to be resting." Akashi stated casually.

"I am." She faced him, emotions carefully masked.

"Doing katas and target practice can hardly be called resting, Mizuki." His eyes was fixed on her bandaged arm, checking for any sign of her wound opening up due to her previous activities.

"I'm just making sure that you recuperate properly."

"I'm capable of protecting you even if I'm burning with fever."

Akashi sighed. "Mizuki," he said patiently, trying to reason with her. Inwardly, he was cursing her for being so disobedient and immune to his commands. She was on a whole other league than he is, and as much as he hate to admit it, that was the truth. "I am merely concerned for your well-being."

"You don't have to bother about such things. It's not your responsibilty to do so." She was looking at something in the distance. "After all, I am merely assigned to guard you."

"Still, I would prefer that you are well taken care of while you are under my family's employment."

Mizuki smiled bitterly. "A monster does not need to be taken care of."

Akashi flinched when he heard that word. He once saw himself as one, and thus denied himself of any form of affection and drove everyone away by means of threats and sharp words — even physical means.

_Monster? _

Akashi don't know why but he immediately said, "No, you're not."

"Oh?" She sounded a bit surprised, amused, and slightly mocking when she said that. "My victims think otherwise."

"My opinion still stands."

She paused as she took in his words. With an unreadable expression on her face, she asked him.

"Then what am I to you?"

Akashi didn't have to think to answer that one. "You're a human being born in unfortunate circumstances. In another life, you could have been a good person. You were strong, you were smart, and from how my team is taken with you, I can say that you're an agreeable person."

"Good? Agreeable?" She let out a dry laugh, then her face suddenly turning serious. "Do I look like a saint to you, Akashi? I'm a cold-blooded killer. Or have you yet to realize that? How many times do you have to see me kill someone before you get that straight?"

"Shut up," he said, stopping her mocking litany. "I'm just saying that you're not the monster you think you are."

"I'm not?" She was standing too close to him. Dropping the knife, she simply reached out and wrapped her slim, elegant fingers around his exposed neck. She pulled him closer, exerting just the slightest amount of pressure. Her fingertips were just under his jaw, her thumb stroking the soft flesh of his throat. "Think again, Akashi. A creature like me feeds on pain and terror. I can easily kill you right here and now without a reason."

Akashi fought the urge to swallow. The touch of her hands on his throat was unnerving, he had to admit, but he was not the least bit afraid "But you won't," he said.

Her smile was wry. "Now that's where you're wrong." The pressure of her fingers against his throat increased for just a moment, and he felt dizzy, disoriented, his back hitting something hard and rough, until he realized she'd turned and pushed him up against the sakura tree, her body pressed up against his, her fingers cradling his face as she looked into his eyes in the gathering darkness.

"Not a monster, you say?"

The faint mockery in her voice was very unsettling.

"Look at me, Akashi," she said softly. "Look into my eyes, and tell me you see the soul of a decent person. A person who wouldn't kill unless forced to."

Akashi didn't want to look. Her golden eyes were dark, opaque, empty, and for a brief moment he could almost see the blackness inside. He tried to jerk his head away, but her hand tightened, holding him firmly, and his face was close to hers. His mouth was close to hers, and he could smell a faint scent of strawberries on her breath. "Tell me I'm a good person, Akashi," she said in a soft, dead voice. "Show me just how stupid you really are."

The words were cruel, harsh, and there was no light or warmth in her face. Only pain, hidden so deep inside that no one could see it, driving, wrenching pain that was tearing her apart. But Akashi could see it, feel it, like a tangible entity, and, ignoring her insult to his person, he put his hands on her wrist, not to pull her harsh grip away, just to touch her.

"I'm not stupid," he said, calm and certain. She wasn't moving away as Akashi's gaze held her in place. The redhead's voice was soothing and soft. "You merely built a monsterlike exterior to hide what's left of your innocence. You have a heart, only that it's coated in ice. Your emotions you locked inside this steel cabinet and buried it under the sea of blood you yourself created." Her eyes widened at his words. She tried to pull away, but Akashi tightened his hold on her wrist. His thumb felt for her pulse, and found it erratic and fast. "You're human, too, Mizuki."

As he had learned before, Mizuki is full of contradictions. She had no sense of good and evil, of truth and lies. For her, the world is all a shade of gray. And the most chilling part about her is that she doesn't care about life and death.

She has lost her humanity.

Or rather, she had forgotten what humanity is.

"Human?" Mizuki asked herself in a low voice, but Akashi heard it nonetheless. The word seemed foreign to her tongue. Her brain doesn't even seem to understand what that word means. Much less if it was asaociated with her own person.

As if reminding her of who she really, her vision dimmed as a stream of voices from her past came surfacing from the depths of her consciousness.

— _Kill them all, Mizuki. Their blood are yours to spill. _

— _From now on, you will be my daughter._

—_This is your fate, Mizuki. This is __**our **__fate — the curse of the Fujiwara clan — to live by taking the lives of others._

— _Mi-chan, be a good girl at school, okay?_

— _You don't know how to use a gun._

— _Your cut was too shallow. Here's another one - make sure that you twist the knife before you slash it upwards._

— _Do you not wish to have a normal life?_

— _You're a __**monster**__..._

"—zuki. Mizuki." Her eyes snapped back to attention at Akashi's voice. She felt lightheaded all of a sudden. Human? The redhead's face came to mind, but she still can't shake the image of her father.

Hearing that single word from Akashi, her carefully constructed world of grey seemed to shatter and fall apart, replaced by shades of crimson and gold. And now, she no longer knew what to believe in anymore.

What happened to her?

After her question, Mizuki's eyes just suddenly glazed over, as if in a trance. And to his further confusion, her face contorted in sudden pain, eliciting a whimper from her.

He stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to pull her out of her stupor. She relinquished her hold on his throat and shied away from the redhead. Tears were on the verge of falling from her eyes, but by sheer will, she managed to stop them.

"Mizuki—"

She stepped backward, her face blank but her eyes is a sea of emotions. And without a word, she turned and stalked towards the manor.

Akashi was tempted to call her but decided against it. At the back of his mind was a question that confused him.

Why do I even bother?

True. Just like she told him earlier, her well-being was no concern of his. He could just turn away and leave her be right now. It doesn't really matter. But why does it seem like his feet won't take him away from her?

Inside Akashi, an old emotion was being brought back to life. One that he was quite familiar with back in his Teiko years — before the GoM bloomed into the monsters they were — back when they were a team and enjoyed playing basketball together. It was that warm feeling that he associated with his 'friends' — that feeling of protectiveness he felt for his teammates. It was when he would fuss over trivial things, like when their ace would gobble his lunch without even chewing it properly, or when a certain shadow goes overboard with his milkshake addiction... simple things that never escaped his watchful eye. It was a time when he honestly cared for their well-beings, taking care not to get them harmed or hurt.

But all changed when he awakened his Emperor Eye. Since then, he stopped caring. Victory became his everything. He neglected his friends in his pursuit of success. He treated life as a shogi board. Everyone else became his pawns that he manipulated or disposed at will. Never did he considered their feelings. For him, emotions are insignificant.

But if that's the case, why did he react strongly to her pain? To her words? To her actions?

Why?

* * *

Mizuki went inside her room, slammed the door shut, and leaned on it, slowly sliding to a sitting position on the carpeted floor.

_That was close_.

She calmed her racing heart by taking several deep breaths, eyes closed in meditation, only to open them after failing to get her desired result.

She did not want someone to be so earnestly concerned about her well-being like that. She did not want anyone to be seriously worried. She did not want to be cared about. Feelings like concern, worry, and care fell all too easily into the frame of "love". She didn't feel like she needed anything like that. He could live without it. She always had. It was unnecessary.

It was evident in his eyes — Mizuki may not be capable of giving it but she knows it when she sees it. Akashi was genuinely concerned about her. And in his every word, not once did he lie to her.

Akashi Seijuurou strongly believes that she is a human being, too.

However, her humanity had died long ago. She had buried it along with the people she killed inside the walls of the Fujiwara compound.

"Idiot!" she said aloud. She stood up and threw herself on th bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she muttered, "Why am I getting so affected by it?"

"_You're human, too, Mizuki._"

No, I'm not. Not anymore.

But somehow, her words lack their usual conviction.

* * *

Akashi stood in front of the door to the chartreusette's room. Chiding himself for hesitating to knock, he raised his hand to do just that when the door suddenly opened, revealing a slightly ruffled Mizuki, fresh from a nap, her hair still a bit messy and her eyes a bit sleepy. As she stood in the doorway rubbing her eyes languidly, Akashi found the sight endearingly cute.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking pointedly at Akashi's raised hand.

"Mizuki. Dinner is about to be served," he said, putting his hand down.

With his father was on a business trip, Akashi has the whole manor all to himself. Most of the servants are already in their own quarters by this time, save for a few kitchen staff who had been awaiting his presence patiently by the dining hall's entrance.

"I don't want to eat," Mizuki said, stepping back to close the door. Akashi's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"You're eating with me." Akashi said, pulling her out the room.

"I'm not hungry."

"You are hungry."

"You cannot dictate how my stomach feels."

"Yes, I can."

And with that, Akashi half-dragged the chartreusette to the dining hall. The door to the hall opened and the servants bowed as Akashi passed them by. On the long marble table, several dishes are served. Satisfied, he dismissed the servants, pushed Mizuki into a seat, and sat across her, as he usually do.

"I told you, I'm not hungry." She looked at the food before her with disinterest. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. She glared at the redhead who was busy putting on his napkin.

"I doubt you'll say that when I give you this." On his left was a covered dish. He lifted the cover and the unmistakeable smell of tomato sauce and cheese and ham wafted through the air.

Mizuki's quirk number one: she's a pizza addict.

He laughed at her expression - it was one of pure happiness.

"Hungry?" he asked her.

Her fork shot out, succesfully pinning a pizza slice. She took a bite then said, "Yep."

As she savored her favorite food, Akashi can only chuckle at her childishness as he also began to eat.

The dining hall was silent save for the sounds of their cutlery, but the redhead didn't mind.

It was a comfortable silence anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

*** VIII. The Light Was Definitely There ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Oi, Chibi! Good to see you again!" Nebuya greeted her as soon as she and Akashi stepped foot in the gym. He did not seem to realize that Akashi twitched upon hearing that taboo word. The fact that he was practically ignored by HIS team didn't help.

"Chibi?" Mibuchi's voice echoed from the other end of the court where he had been shooting a few hoops. "Oh, imouto-chaaaan~!"

"Mi-chan's here?" Hayama's head poked out the door of the locker room, only to disappear and reappear again along with Mayuzumi's head. They both looked at the gym's entrance where the said girl stood beside their captain.

Their already seething captain.

Akashi was reminded of yesterday's practice. It was pretty much the same.

"_Fujiwara-chaaan!"_

_"Mi-chan~!"_

_"Chibi!"_

_There was a sudden yelp of pain as Nebuya received a well-aimed kick at his shin._

_"I see you never learned, Eikichi." Akashi muttered as he watched Mizuki glare at their center._

_"Never thought she'd be as violent like this..." Nebuya whimpered. Her kick sure hurts like hell... Eyeing her dainty figure, he wondered where she got that strength._

_"Sei-chan, you're early..." Reo commented._

_"We don't have last period." Akashi simply said. "Go change. We'll start practice as soon as Chihiro arrives."_

_When he came out of the locker room, Mayuzumi was on the bench, talking to Mizuki but when Mayuzumi saw him, he stood up to join the team where Akashi was already starting to brief them for their afternoon activities._

_Training went smoothly as usual. Mizuki watched from her seat as they ran laps and did their drills on the court. Akashi was the one who called the orders while he executed it with them as well. During their break, she accompanied Mayuzumi to the vending machine outside the gym, saying she wanted to get one as well._

_"Ara, ara~" he heard Mibuchi say, looking at Mizuki and Chihiro's retreating forms. Mayuzumi was the only one who can hold a peaceful and sensible conversation with the chartreusette, which did not go unnoticed by the rest of the team. "Those two are getting closer, don't you think?"_

_Kotaro's head bobbed up and down in agreement. "Do you think they'll end up together?"_

_A big tanned hand slapped Hayama's arm. "Itai!"_

_"Shut up, Hayama," Nebuya warned in a low voice. For some reason, Akashi finds himself annoyed at that fact. How come Mizuki gets along with his teammates instead of him?_

"Doubled training menu. The four of you." Shouts of protests and apologies came from the other regulars of the Rakuzan basketball team. Amidst the racket, Akashi called out to Mizuki. "Let"s go."

They headed to the bench where Akashi placed his schoolbag beside Mizuki, taking his gymbag with him as he went off to the now vacated locker room to change into his gym clothes. He emerged a few minutes later donning a pristine white shirt and black jersey shorts. Rounding up the rest of his team, he started their training of hell.

Mizuki merely sat on the bench, watching them as they go through the drills that their captain ordered them to do. As Akashi passed by her while doing their laps around the court, he noticed that she was holding his clipboard containing the team's data and their training menu.

Half an hour later, Akashi called for a water break. His mismatched eyes gleamed in satisfaction as he took in his team's condition.

"You're all getting used to our training menu," he said as they walked back to the bench. Although they were sweating heavily, they were no longer panting as much as before, and he considered that as a sign "That means it needs improvement."

"B-but Sei-chaaaaan~" Mibuchi can't help but whine. By "improve", their sadistic captain means that he will triple or quadruple the difficulty of their training — meaning they'll be taking a trip to hell's second circle soon.

"No buts, Reo." Akashi said, adding a glare to emphasize his point. Pouting, he backed down, not wanting to anger their captain even more. He still wants to live, thank you very much.

He turned to the hyper forward behind him. "Ko-chan, go and buy some drinks, will you? I'm too tired to make the trip to the vending machine outside."

"But Reo-nee, I'm tired too! Nebuya can go instead!" Hayama protested.

"Why me?!" The muscled center countered. However, before it escalated into another of their full-blown bickering which involves a lot of whining from Kotaro and shouting from Nebuya (and of course, a very pissed Akashi), Mizuki stepped into the scene.

"Minna."

All heads turned to her at once. Before them stood Mizuki, towels hung over one arm and a plastic bag filled with drinks on her other hand. She held them out to the exhausted teens, saying, "I'm not sure what you want to drink so I just bought the ones you had last time. Here." Mizuki got herself a can of ice cold pineapple juice from the bag before handing it over to them. There was grape Ponta for Mayuzumi, Pocari for Akashi and Mibuchi, and lemon-flavored iced tea for Nebuya and Hayama.

It was about a month and a half since Mizuki's introduction to the basketball team, and no one questioned Akashi why the chartreusette accompanies him during club practice. Coach Shirogane wasn't bothered by it, the other club members merely assumed that she was a manager of chosen by Akashi himself, but to the four other regulars, Mizuki was someone that they treat as a younger sister of some sorts. Nebuya was the older brother who spoils her with food, Hayama was the childish older brother who teases and plays games with her (the two were fond of playing rock-paper-and-scissors where the penalty for the loser is a flick on the nose, much to the amusement of the others), Mibuchi was the doting older brother (or sister, whatever) who always greets her with a hug and sometimes offers to do her hair, and Mayuzumi was the sensible older brother who shares her sentiments about the eccentricities of the three previously mentioned. Akashi was pleased to see her getting along with them quite well... Now, if only he could get her to be that way with him as well...

Akashi was the first to grab a towel from her. Since she had nothing better to do aside from watching them, Mizuki had decided to make herself useful by giving them towels and drinks every practice session. Today was no different. "Aa. Arigato, Mizuki."

Mizuki has her nice side, too — just like this time. Akashi had told her this before, but Mizuki told him that it has nothing to do with being nice. She's simply doing what needs to be done. Akashi smiled knowingly when she explained it to him.

"Thank you, Mi-chan!" Mibuchi squealed, diving for a hug but Mayuzumi was quick to pull Mizuki off to the side.

Akashi took the plastic bag from her, got his Pocari and passed the bag to Nebuya. Mayuzumi had already took the towels from her and did the distributing to the others as Akashi walked her back to the bench. Taking a gulp from his Pocari, the redhead said, "You shouldn't be exerting yourself." His eyes locked on her injured shoulder, hidden from view by her uniform blazer. "How was your wound?"

"I used my feet to go to the vending machine and the towels hardly weigh a thing. I used my right arm to carry the drinks and —" she caught him staring at her left shoulder. "—it's rude to stare."

Akashi sighed at her sarcasm. The way she acts just implies that she really needs someone to look after her. His "motherly instincts" — as Aomine had called it — kicked in, making him want to take care of Mizuki's well-being as long as she is his bodyguard.

"How many times do I have to tell you to take better care of yourself?"

"And how many times do I have to tell you that a simple wound would not hinder me from doing —"

Akashi cut her off. He is not having this argument again. "And do I have to remind you again that that is not the reason why I'm telling you to look after yourself?"

Mizuki huffed in defeat. "Fine," she grumbled. Off to the side, a certain shooting guard was watching them with interest.

_Is that a spark I see? _he thought.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

"I thought practice was canceled today," Mizuki said when Akashi did not head straight for the gates after class. It was the day before their midterm exams, and it was none other than Akashi himself that decided not to hold club activites during this week to give the members enough time to study. The redhead wants to make sure that the club members would excel not only in basketball but in their academics as well.

"Yes, it is," Akashi replied as they turned a corner.

"Then why are we — Oh." Mizuki stopped when she realized that they're not heading for the gym but to somewhere else.

It was the clubroom.

"So what are we gonna do here?" Mizuki asked once more, sitting on the floor in front of low table as Akashi opened the windows. The redhead then sat on the opposite side of the table and took out his notes from his bag.

At Mizuki's raised eyebrow, he said, "We're going to study."

She rolled her eyes at that. "Seriously?"

"Hm?" Akashi said, already reading his notes on their Japanese History lessons.

Mizuki propped an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm. "Who are you kidding, Akashi? You know everything, right?"

"Indeed. It came to my notice though, that you were actually having problems with our Chemistry lessons?"

"Don't go peeking at other people's scores!" Mizuki huffed in indignation. Then in a smaller voice, "Why do you even care about such trivial things?"

Akashi chuckled, then stood up and went over to sit beside her. There was a short staring contest between the two when Mizuki refused to move to give him space, so Akashi sat down and adjusted the table instead.

He placed his notes in front of her. "So, Lewis structures, right?"

As he began to explain the concepts, Mizuki sighed.

One thing about Akashi that frustrates and amazes Mizuki is that when the redhead decides that something needs to be done, he will stop at nothing to accomplish it. Well, it is a good trait — having such determination and resolve — but certainly not when it comes to things like this. Mizuki recalled the instances when this trait of Akashi was used to annoy her.

"Are you paying attention, Mizuki?"

"Tsk."

"Mizuki."

"What?" she hunched her shoulders slightly.

Akashi pointed at an example problem that he had drawn on a piece of paper. "Answer this."

Reluctantly, Mizuki picked up the pen and twirled it lazily in her fingers. "Do I have to?"

"One correct answer, one box of pizza." In his mind, Akashi sighed. It's like dealing with Murasakibara all over again.

She clicked her tongue again. "Fine."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

"Reo-nee, I noticed something." Hayama said on their way home. He and Mibuchi walk home together everyday since they live near each other.

"What is it, Ko-chan?"

"It's between Captain and Mi-chan," he said after a moment's hesitation. "Is there something going on between them?"

Mibuchi smiled. So Hayama noticed it too — therefore he wasn't just imagining things. He tapped his finger on his chin and hummed. "Ah, so Ko-chan noticed it too. I've been wondering if someone else from the team felt it aside from myself."

"Well, I saw them together earlier at the clubroom... Akashi seemed to be teaching her something."

Mibuchi smiled widened. "I saw that too. Isn't Sei-chan so sweet?"

"So you noticed something going on between them?!" Hayama almost shouted at him, stopping mid-stride and gawking at the taller teen.

Mibuchi reached out, finger under Hayama's chin, and in an upward flick, closed Hayama's open mouth. He resumed walking, his companion trailing behind him.

"Of course, I noticed it! After all, Sei-chan was acting a bit, you know—kinder and more mellow and all that stuff. Mizu-chan must be the reason." He clasped his hands and Hayama could swear that Mibuchi's eyes were sparkling with hearts and diamonds as he recalled how Akashi had smiled earlier at the chartreusette. "My Sei-chan is finally going to have a girlfriend! I'm so excited! When will he propose? And how? Do you think he'll give her a ring?"

Hayama sweatdropped. Akashi turning all fluffy and sweet? Nah, he don't think so. Akashi and romance just don"t mix. Even if said person's hair is red. As Mibuchi continued spouting his fantasies of Akashi's "proposal" to Mizuki, Hayama was getting disturbed at the images that his teammate's words make him imagine. And so for the sake of his sanity, and the world at large, he has to stop Mibuchi. And he couldn't think of a better way of doing it aside from saying, "Reo-nee, you do know that Captain will kill you if he hears about that, don't you?"

As anticipated, Mibuchi shut up immediately, eyes darting and looking all around him as if looking for hidden cameras or drones that might send evidence to the redhead.

"You won't be telling him, ne, Ko-chan?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"No, I won't. But only if you stop now. I can't imagine Captain doing all those... mushy stuff." He scrunched up his nose.

"What's bad about roses and candlelit dinners and fireworks? Sei-chan definitely looks —"

"Reo-nee," Hayama intervened. "I'm telling Captain."

The rest of the way was walked in silence.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

When the clock struck six, Akashi and Mizuki packed their stuff and prepared to go home. After a two-hour tutorial session, Akashi was confident that Mizuki had finally understood their lessons perfectly.

"Don't forget the pizzas, Akashi," Mizuki said as they headed to the gates. She had a smug look on her face — after all, she had answered nine out of ten problems that Akashi had given her.

Beside her, Akashi sighed. He had purposefully made all the problems difficult in order to lessen the chartreusette's intake of pizza, but it seems that she won this time. "Of course, I won't."

When they got inside their limousine, Akashi went over some papers from the council regarding the upcoming school festival next month when his father called, telling him that he would be gone for a couple of weeks to attend some overseas business transaction thus he would be leaving the company to the heir. Akashi assured his father that he would attend to his duties, but inwardly, he was annoyed at having to reorganize his schedule again. Even though he is used to this, that doesn't mean that he would not get a bit irritated when it happens.

Beside him, Mizuki noticed the sudden darkening of his mood, evident by the way he tightened his grip on the documents in his hand.

"You're crumpling the papers, Akashi."

His grip loosened immediately as a low chuckle escaped from his lips. "Your concern for the papers is most touching, Mizuki."

"I assume that was your father just now. No one can annoy you like he does. What did he do now?"

Akashi replaced his phone in his pocket with a smirk. "How perceptive. Tou-san just flew to London and left the company to me for a couple of weeks. He effectively ruined my schedule."

"I see. I'll help if I can be of any use to you."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'd rather have you resting in your room this weekend."

"Aren't you being a hypocrite by telling me to rest while you go and overwork yourself?" Mizuki asked.

"I'm used to it." He replied.

"And I've suffered worse. So it's either you let me help you or I'll go and train."

Akashi turned to her and brought his face close to hers. Eyes locked, but no one backed down. He narrowed heterochromatic eyes at her.

"Is that an ultimatum, Mizuki?"

"Yes." was the firm reply.

"Fine," he sighed and leaned back in his seat. "I'll let you help. We'll start this Friday, after the exams."

"Good."

As the car turned in the driveway of the manor, Akashi smirked.

Mizuki sure knows how to bargain.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

*** IX. Quietly, As Not To Wake The Emperor ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Akashi—?" Mizuki paused on the door of the redhead's study where he was supposed to be working on their company's reports. In her hand was a perfectly balanced tray containing a cup of tea and a slice of red velvet cake.

Which was a bit odd considering that it is already past midnight.

_Midterms went smoothly, with the two of them finishing at the top of their year level. The rest of the team did well, especially Mayuzumi and Mibuchi. After a mini-celebration at a nearby takoyaki shop that Friday afternoon (Mibuchi's idea — Akashi only agreed because Mizuki was interested), Mizuki and Akashi went home to deal with the next thing on their agenda: paperwork._

_After telling Mizuki what to do, Akashi started working on what his father had assigned him to do, starting with an analysis of a report on the corporation's aim to expand their business even further abroad. After finishing his work on three out of seven possible countries, Akashi decided to take a break from all those business talks and called Mizuki to show him her work concerning the upcoming school festival._

_The emperor was surprised at Mizuki's decisions about the booth proposals — her comments and observations were right on the mark (and pretty blunt). In neat handwriting, she wrote small comments on the sides of the paper with a blue pen, and in pencil, she added some "personal takes" on the booths._

_Assured that his "assistant" was doing just fine, he handed the papers back to her, complimented her on her satisfactory performance (he received a mild glare at this), explained some of the things that she didn't quite understood, and left her to her own devices as he continued with his own. Given that it was a Friday night, all the staff of the manor had already went home to spend the weekends with their families. Thus, the two teenagers basically holed themselves up in Akashi's study and busied themselves with all the paperwork._

_Hours passed as Mizuki continued reading the proposals and making the appropriate comments while Akashi was typing his report on his laptop. As the night grew deeper, the redhead's typing slowed down a little. Mizuki glanced up in time to see him about to fall face first on his keyboard as sleep was about to overtake him. Deciding to save him from the pain of coming face to face with the laptop, she called out his name to bring him back to the world of the living._

_"Akashi."_

_Heterochromatic eyes widened and Akashi jerked his head back in time to avoid a painful collision. Glancing at the clock silently ticking on the wall, he saw that it was already 1:43 am._

_Which gives him about six hours to finish all the report analyses and to give a reply to a couple of business proposals._

_"I'll get you some food." Mizuki said quietly, and excused herself from her work table. She was gone before Akashi, in his drowsy state, could do anything._

Which brings her to her current predicament.

Akashi Seijuurou had fallen asleep.

Invincible he may seem to be, but even the Red Emperor has his limits. His father had been dumping him lots of work lately, and with his own work like his academics, plus his duties as student council president and basketball club president, time management was practically useless and the heir was forced to resort to such measures as foregoing much needed sleep just to meet what was expected of him.

Mizuki gazed at Akashi's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful with his head laid sideways on his arm that was draped across the study table. His laptop was pushed a bit to the side, ignored for the time being. She placed the tray on the coffee table and sat on the chair in front of Akashi's table, and contemplated on her next course of action.

Her eyes strayed to the laptop, its screen displaying a half-written analysis on the report about China. She checked his work and found out that this was the last one. Well, aside from the business proposals, though.

Hesitatingly, not wanting to break his peaceful slumber, she reached out and poked Akashi's nose. "Akashi, wake up." She leaned closer. "Your work is not done yet. Wake up."

His eyelids fluttered at the intrusion.

"Hnnn.." he muttered. He struggled to open his eyes. Obviously, his brain refused to cooperate with him, not when it was finally getting its much needed rest. Akashi barely registered Mizuki's voice as she too tried to take him away from the clutches of dreamland.

Mizuki reakized that poking him on the nose was not as effective as she thought it would be, given the fact that the redhead was not really fond of physical contact as she had observed, so she changed tactics. Getting out of her seat, she went to his side and brought her lips near his ear, and spoke none too gently.

"Akashi, WAKE UP."

She straightened just as Akashi's head shot up , a glare on his face, all traces of sleep now gone from him. He turned to the blank-faced girl beside him, and asked in a menacing tone, "What do you think you're doing?"

Mizuki shrugged her shoulders before getting the tray she had brought in earlier. "Exactly what it looks like, Akashi. Now," she set the tray of tea and cake before him, pushing his laptop away, "if you would." She looked pointedly at him, then back to the food. Akashi was, honestly, surprised — and should he say, touched? — by the gesture.

When Akashi didn't respond, she spoke again. "Just eat it."

"Thank you."

Akashi decided that he might as well, since she had gone to the trouble of going down to the kitchen to prepare and bring them for him. He reached over and brought the cup to his lips, and drank the still warm Earl Gray. As he set the cup back on the table, he pushed the cake to her. "Then you will take the cake."

"It was meant for you to eat - the sugar might help you in staying awake for a while."

He shook his head. "The tea is fine, Mizuki. And I won't take no for an answer."

The girl paused for a moment as if remembering something. He bit back a chuckle. "I do like red velvet, but I don't feel like eating any as of the moment."

"I see." Her confusion gone, she took the plate and brought it with her to the coffee table where she had been working earlier. No words were exchanged as the sounds of the keyboard filled the room. Once in a while though, Mizuki would look up at him from her own laptop where she was now typing some documents.

_He looks tired._ As she glanced at the amount of paperwork that she had been doing for him, and to those of the company, she was actually amazed knowing that he had been doing all these by himself before she came. Not once did she hear a single complaint from Akashi, even though others would have given up by now. He was always composed and sure of himself, not a single flaw in sight. However, Mizuki can see right through him, though. And given that she stayed beside him almost 24 hours a day, she had certainly seen him at his weak moments, just like earlier. _What should I do? And most importantly, why am I thinking that I should do something?_

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Later that day, Akashi woke up with a stiff neck as a result from falling asleep on his desk. He had finished everything by half past three in the morning, and had mailed it to his father. He had just clicked the 'Send' button before he finally gave in to exhaustion, not even bothering to wait for his father's confirmation message that he had received the files. It was unnecessary. He was sure that his work was more than satisfactory and his father won't have any complaints about it. He noticed the blanket that was draped over his shoulders. He smiled unconsciously, knowing that it was no other than Mizuki who had done it — her third act of caring that night. And so, with that warm thought, he closed his tired eyes for the second time in three days.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

The sun was already up in the sky when Akashi ventured downstairs. The manor was empty, except for him and Mizuki, who was still nowhere to be found. A sizzling noise in the kitchen though informed him that she was already up and about, probably making breakfast. He assumed that she knows how to cook - she's reliable in a lot of things aside from killing people.

Mizuki was already setting the table when he entered the dining room. Her hair was put up in a messy bun, showing off her slender neck. She wore a frilly apron that the cook wore over her light yellow dress. She doesn't look like an assassin - instead, she looks so... domesticated.

"You're finally awake." She said as a way of greeting as she placed two plates of omelet on the table. "I thought I have to go up there and wake you up."

"No need to do that." He walked past her and to the cupboards. "Tea, coffee, or milk?"

"Hot chocolate."

Akashi snorted upon realizing that it was not among his choices. He was almost sure that she would pick out coffee but then again, this is Mizuki he was talking to, who was as unpredictable as the wind.

As they finished with setting up the table, they sat down and began to eat. Both said their thanks, and on the first taste, Akashi complimented her cooking.

"This is delicious."

"Hn."

"What were you doing up so early?" He asked her.

"I have to cook breakfast." She took another bite of her omelet. "Have you gotten enough sleep?"

He was momentarily taken aback by her question. Concern - there it is again. Akashi suddenly scolded himself for being so childish. Why does he have to pay attention to her every action and emotion towards him? And seriously, his inner self doesn't have to do a victory dance everytime Mizuki treats him well. _I'm like a kid vying for his parent's approval. I didn't even act like this to Mother. _

"Of course. I'm quite used to this. How was your wound?"

She was half-tempted to roll her eyes. "It's perfectly healed. See?" She turned a bit to show him her bare shoulder, where only a pale pink scar remained of her injury. It was already a week after the incident, and all that time, Akashi went to her room after dinner and tended her wound, even though she refused at first, even locking the door to her room and not answering when he would knock or call her name. Akashi did not back down as well, and simply retrieved the extra key to her room and let himself in. At that point, Mizuki decided that it would be useless to attempt anything. It's not like she can kick him out of his own house, right? "What are we going to work on next?"

"Nothing more. You've done a great job for the school fair. You would have been a great addition to the student body."

"You can just train your council members."

"I will. By the way, we'll be going to Tokyo later this afternoon."

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Today was Saturday, and they were supposed to have classes in the morning but they were suspended since midterms had just ended.

"I'm taking you out for pizza."

Mizuki nodded. "Fine. What time?"

"We'll take the 12:00 train. We'll eat lunch outside."

"Okay. But you have to go to your room and sleep until then."

When they were done with breakfast, Akashi helped Mizuki wash the dishes (despite the girl's protests) and went to their own rooms to prepare for their trip later.

"I'll call you when it's time to go."

"Mizuki."

"Hm?" She turned when they were halfway up the stairs.

Akashi smiled gently, and said, "Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10

*** X. Things That Most Have Never Seen Before ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Tetsu-kuuuuun~!"

Aomine grimaced as Momoi practically shouted Kuroko's name in the middle of the streets of Tokyo. There, on the other side, stood the tealhead along with Kagami, who, like Aomine, had his face all scrunched up upon hearing the pinkette's voice.

Grudgingly, Aomine followed his childhood friend as she crossed the road to get to Kuroko. She immediately hugged him, and the tanned ace had to pull her off him to make a proper greeting to Kuroko.

"Tetsu-kun, nice to see you here! What are you and Kagamin doing here?" Momoi asked.

"Kagami-kun went to the mall to buy the newest design of his favorite brand of basketball shoes. I merely tagged along since I don't have anything to do today. What about you and Aomine-kun, Momoi-san?"

"Ah! I met Dai-chan on a bookstore—"

"He really goes to a bookstore?" Kagami asked, surprised.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Kagami-kun. Aomine-kun do not go to the bookstores for a proper reason." Kuroko said.

"He only goes there to buy his gravure magazines." Momoi finished with a pout.

"O-oi! What's wrong with that? A magazine is still a book! Quit ganging up on me!" He turned to Kagami. "And you!" He pointed his finger at the sniggering redhead. "What are you laughing about? You—"

Kagami was about to make a witty retort when something — rather, someone caught his eye. He swatted Aomine's hand away and raised his head to get a better look. There was no mistaking that vivid red hair and regal air that surrounds the said person. Walking towards them was no other than the leader of the Generation of Miracles himself, Akashi Seijūro.

"Oi, isn't that Akashi?" Kagami said. He was not really keen on meeting the redhead, as they somewhat have a very unpleasant first meeting, even though they had somehow come to terms during the Winter Cup Finals. Something about the smaller redhead unnerves Kagami, making him uneasy or nervous whenever he is around.

Three heads turned to look at where Kagami indicated with his gaze, and sure enough, they saw Akashi in his full glory, dressed casually in a red long sleeved polo and dark pants paired with black Chucks. After a whole minute of staring at Akashi, the four realized that he was not alone.

Walking side by side with the feared emperor was a lime-haired girl dressed in a black turtleneck dress that reached just above her knees. It was beautifully complimented by her black open-toed sandals with laces that wrapped around up to her slender calves. The two were talking while walking like they had all the time in the world, not even bothering to look where they were going as the crowd seems to make way for them. The girl's face showed little to no emotion, while Akashi on the other hand seemed to be relaxed and carefree.

"Aren't we gonna hide or something?" Kagami asked his companions. He is so not looking forward to meeting Akashi again.

"Iie. He already knows we've seen him. It wouldn't be wise if we suddenly turn our backs on him." Kuroko said. Out of the four of them, the phantom player was the least affected of Akashi's presence. "I'll go and greet him." He said before walking towards the pair.

"Oi, Kuroko!"

Mizuki stopped midsentence as she noticed a certain tealhead who was approaching them. "Akashi, someone is coming towards us."

The redhead looked forward, and his eyes met sky blue ones. He saw Kuroko bow slightly at him, which he returned with a nod of his own. Taking Mizuki's hand, Akashi said, "It's Kuroko Tetsuya. He's on my team in middle school."

"Akashi-kun, nice to see you again." The ever polite Kuroko greeted him.

"Tetsuya. Nice to see you too." He gestured to the girl beside him. "Tetsuya, this is Mizuki. Mizuki, Tetsuya."

"Akashi-kun, I suppose that"s her given name." Kuroko said, frowning a little. He turned to her. "May I know your full name?"

Akashi chuckled a little at this. "Courteous as ever, Tetsuya."

"Fujiwara Mizuki. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

"Hai. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, Fujiwara-san."

They resumed walking, and Akashi asked Kuroko what was he doing here in central Tokyo that Saturday.

"I accompanied Kagami-kun to the mall to buy basketball shoes."

Akashi smirked. So Seirin's ace was here. Their first meeting was very amusing to Akashi, to say the least.

"Aomine-kun and Momoi-san was also here with us. We met up with them just a while ago."

Sure enough, a few steps away from them stood Kagami, Aomine, and Momoi. The look on their faces was priceless when they took note of Mizuki's hand being held by Akashi.

"Akashi-kun never mentioned having a girlfriend, did he?" Momoi asked, more to herself than to her male companions.

"She has big boobs." Aomine said.

"Pervert Dai-chan!" Momoi smacked his arm. "If Akashi-kun heard you saying that, he'll send you to hell!"

Kagami snorted as he watched the advertisement shown on the screen on the walls of a building across the street. "I can't believe that someone in their sane mind would date a psycho like that Akashi." A moment of silence followed. He turned to look at his companions. "Wha—?"

"Would you please repeat that, Taiga?"

Kagami gulped. Right in front of him stood the emperor himself.

"And don't worry, Daiki. I haven't forgotten about you either."

"The he—!"

Off to the side, Kuroko and Momoi can only pray. "May their souls rest in peace."

When he was done terrorizing the two basketball idiots, Akashi introduced his companion to them. "Satsuki, Daiki, Taiga, this is Fujiwara Mizuki."

"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu." Mizuki said with a bow. What Akashi hadn't predicted was their reactions.

Momoi squealed, "Kawaii~!" before introducing herself. "Call me Sa-chan. Can I call you Mi-chan?"

Aomine thanked his dark skin tone for hiding his blush effectively. _Damn Akashi._ "Aomine Daiki. Nice to meet you too, Fujiwara-chan." What the hell did he just say?

Kagami was not as lucky as Aomine. He scratched his nape nervously as he refused to meet her warm gold eyes. "Kagami Taiga."

Akashi narrowed his eyes at the two. He suddenly became annoyed and felt the need to somehow get out of here. He doesn't like the way they look at Mizuki.

"Ano, Akashi-kun, have you and Fujiwara-san eaten lunch?" Kuroko intervened. He had felt Akashi's annoyance and decided to break the tension.

Akashi didn't answer, probably planning the perfect punishment for the two. Mizuki, fortunately, had heard Kuroko's question and tugged at Akashi's arm.

"Akashi, you promised."

To his amazement, Akashi's dark mood vanished.

"Aa." He said, a small smile on his lips. "Kuroko, no we haven't."

"Then would you mind joining us for lunch, Akashi-kun?"

"I was thinking of inviting all of you to join us instead. We're going to this famous pizzeria in Roppongi."

"If it wouldn't be too much, Akashi-kun."

"Oi, isn't that the the high end district?" Kagami said.

"How about Kagami-kun, Akashi-kun?"

Akashi waved his hand. "He can tag along."

Kuroko thanked him and wordlessly followed Akashi. Kagami trailed behind Aomine and Momoi, unsure of what to do.

"Kagamin, don't worry. Akashi will be the one to buy us lunch." Momoi said, glancing behind her. On her left, Aomine added. "It's like tradition. Whenever the team eats outside, Akashi always brings us to this fancy restaurants and would foot the bill. He's too rich to care where all his money goes. So just eat and order all you want — Akashi won't mind."

_Damn Akashi for being a rich guy._ Kagami thought. _If only Kuroko hadn't brought up that topic._

They took two separate cabs to go to their destination, and he ended up riding with Aomine and Momoi. They got off and saw that they were going to eat in a famous pizzeria in Roppongi.

"Taiga, just order all you want. Get a lesson from Daiki." Akashi said once they settled on their chosen table. Aomine was the first to get a menu from the waiter and was now busy rattling off his choices to the baffled waiter. Akashi then told him, "Manners, Daiki. Don't order everything at once or it won't fit in our table."

"Do you serve milkshakes here?" He heard Kuroko ask from Mizuki's other side. He can't help but smile in amusement. Even if you serve Kuroko all the delicious food in the world, he'll only look for one thing. Milkshake.

"I'm sorry sir but we only serve fruitshakes and parfaits here. You can choose from our —"

"I presume you can make a special order." Akashi intercepted. "A milkshake is quite simple to do and it won't be the least of a bother since all the needed ingredients are already in your kitchen. Is it not?" He raised his chin up a little, and fixed his mismatched eyes to the poor waiter.

"Akashi-kun, that's not necessary. I can live without milkshake for now." Kuroko said, a bit alarmed at Akashi's actions, although he had seen him do this a number of times when they were still in Teiko. However, he failed to notice how the waiter paled at the mention of the redhead's name, and sure enough, the waiter was already apologizing and assuring Akashi that they would serve his companion with as much milkshake as he want. Akashi can only smirk.

The group watched as the waiter bowed and rushed back to the kitchen, telling that he would inform the kitchen of the "special order" while a new waiter came to assist them. Akashi and Mizuki were the last to place their orders.

"I'll have this and this and... this." Mizuki laid a dainty finger on a chocolate parfait. Everyone on the table noticed how the waiter eyed the chartreusette, following the moves of her hand creepily. It didn't help that he brushed his hand on purpose with Mizuki's when she handed the menu back to him.

_What a lowlife. He needs to know his place. _Akashi was furious. When the waiter went over to get his order, he purposefully lowered his voice so that the waiter would have to lean closer to hear him. When he succeeded on doing so, he said in a threatening tone that only the waiter can hear him.

"No one touches what is mine, or you might find yourself losing an arm or two in the future." Then, as if he did not just threatened him, Akashi continued in a normal voice, "I'll have what the lady ordered."

"Y-yes s-sir!" And then, the waiter was gone also, in a hurry to get away from the intimidating guy with crimson hair.

"Oi, Akashi, what did you do to that guy? He looks like he's going to piss in his pants." Aomine asked.

"Language, Daiki. And are you accusing me?" He replied, his gaze fixed on the ganguro.

"O-of course not! I'm merely asking. Geez."

"I'm pretty certain that you threatened him, Akashi." Mizuki fiddled with the charms on her bracelet. "Why deny it?"

Aomine and Kagami was almost certain that Akashi would go all psycho and send flying scissors to Mizuki. Momoi was shocked speechless — no one talks to Akashi in that manner and get away with it. Even Kuroko looked tense, as if he was readying himself to pull Mizuki aside if the need arises. All of them were thinking the same thing: _Is she insane?_

Then the feared emperor did the unthinkable.

Jaws dropped. Eyes widened in shock. Is this really happening?

Because Akashi Seijuurou just freaking laughed.

Yep, you heard that right. THE Akashi Seijuurou just laughed. He didn't get mad, he didn't gave her a death glare nor send any of his beloved scissors to her face.

Instead, he laughed. Not a full blown laugh, mind you. It was more of a supressed chuckle, but laughing all the same. The four rubbed their eyes (Momoi even pinched her cheeks). It is true. They're not dreaming. Unfortunately(?), more is yet to come.

Mizuki frowned at Akashi. "Is there anything funny, Akashi?" She crossed her arms in front of her and to Akashi's opinion, did the closest thing she can to a pout.

Seeing the assassin's childish side was a rare thing. He had only seen it a few times, each lasting for a few seconds and not longer than two minutes. Akashi himself had his silly moments even though he doesn't like to admit it. He don't know why but everytime he sees Mizuki acting just like a normal high school girl makes him feel... happy. Or something like that.

He stopped laughing, although his mirth is still evident in his eyes and lips. The next words that came from his mouth just surprised their audience even more. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you, if that's what you think."

_Did he just apologize? _Kagami was getting more and more creeped out each passing second.

_Is this the Akashi I knew?_ Aomine was having second doubts about this person on the other side of the table. _Not that Akashi has a twin brother or anything._

_Is this the effect of love on Akashi-kun?_ Momoi was starting to have hearts in her eyes. _Oh my! They're so adorable together! Who would've thought Akashi has this side in him! Mi-chan, you're one lucky girl!_ She looked at Kuroko, who was silently watching the pair. _I wonder when Tetsu-kun will see me that way..._

The tealhead, however, has only one thought. As the two continued their harmless argument, he was amazed how Akashi didn't get mad at the way Mizuki talks to him. He smiled inwardly. Not that he was complaining, though.

_Welcome back, Akashi-kun._


	11. Chapter 11

*** XI. Something Kicking At The Edges Of His Consciousness ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Akashi's phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he slid the screen lock and instantly narrowed his eyes when he saw who the caller was.

He announced to his friends around the table, his tone now serious. He chose to ignore the weird looks that he received from them. "Excuse me. I have to take this call." And then, to Mizuki, he said, "I'll be outside for a moment."

"We'll wait for you then." She replied simply. And then he went out, phone already in his ear as he talked to his father to find out what the old man wants from him this time.

Mizuki was left by herself on the table, along with four people who were friends of Akashi. She was not one to start a conversation, so she simply stayed quiet. Not one of them was talking anyway.

Suddenly, the pinkette who introduced herself as Sa-chan leaned forward and asked her with a glint in her eyes. "Ne, Mi-chan, how did you and Akashi-kun met each other?"

"Hm?" Obviously, she cannot say that she was Akashi's bodyguard, so she just have to make a story. She figured Akashi was smart enough to be able to pick-up and won't say anything that will mess up with her made-up story. Thankfully, she had done this numerous times making it easy for her to do so. "We're classmates in Rakuzan. I transferred just this year."

"Oh? When did Akashi started courting you?" Momoi asked next.

Mizuki's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. As far as her knowledge on human relationships went, courting is something a person does to show his or her attraction to another. And she was certain that Akashi is not doing that to her. So she calmly answered Momoi, "You're certainly mistaken. Akashi and I are mere acquaintances."

"So this isn't a date?"

"No, it's not. He only promised to treat me to pizza."

"Eh? All the way from Kyoto?" Aomine asked. "Aren't there any pizza stores there?"

"Akashi said that this pizzeria is better than the ones in Kyoto."

"Akashi-kun is right. I remember reading that this store ranked number 1 in a Japan-wide poll on the best pizzeria award." Kuroko said.

"Well, Akashi sure knows how to pick them." Kagami joined in. He stopped the urge to whistle at the classiness of this pizzeria. The ambiance itself was enough to know that only high-class people can afford to dine in such a place. In fact, they were the only teenagers in the whole place. Everyone else were either old men in suits or young businessmen with their coats shed off, talking merrily with their girlfriends or fiancées.

"So you and Akashi are just friends?" Momoi asked again. To be honest, she was disappointed. She was almost certain that there was something going on with her former captain and this lime-haired beauty.

"Yes."

Their order then arrived in a cart pushed the second waiter. This time, not once did he as much as glance to Mizuki. He was relieved that the terror redhead was nowhere to be seen, but he wouldn't take his chances. As fast as he could, he placed their orders on their table and was gone as soon as he placed the last of their meals on their table.

Akashi returned just then, his eyes following the waiter as he went away from the table. He sat back on his seat with a satisfied smirk.

"Sorry for the wait. Shall we eat then?"

A chorus of "Itadakimasu" was heard, followed by the hearty eating of six hungry teens. Kuroko was greatly satisfied with his milkshake, evident by the smile in his eyes as he slurped his favorite beverage. Beside him, Mizuki ate her pizza with equal gusto.

"Fujiwara-san likes pizza very much," Kuroko commented.

She stopped halfway in the process of taking another bite of her pizza and answered Kuroko with a nod. "I do. Their pizzas are excellent indeed."

"I'm glad you found them to your liking." Akashi said. He watched as she finished one slice and picked up another.

"Yes. Thank you." She lowered her eyes, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the redhead's gaze. She flushed slightly when Akashi wiped some tomato sauce on the corner of her mouth with a tissue.

"You have something on your face," he said, showing her the red-stained tissue.

"Oh," she said awkwardly, as everyone else in their table was watching them closely with varying expressions.

They continued eating, and the boys soon talked about their common passion: basketball.

Soon, they finished their lunch and Akashi called one of the waiters to have their orders paid. Kagami then said, "Ano, Akashi... Thanks for the meal."

The smaller redhead just smirked. "Nothing to worry about, Taiga." He then pulled out his wallet and took several bills, and paid for their meal in cash, even including a generous tip for the waiter. Once outside, Akashi asked Mizuki if there's someplace she want to go to or visit.

"I don't know. How about them?" She said, indicating their other companions.

"There's a nearby park here." Kuroko offered. Since no one has a better suggestion, they walked to the park that Kuroko told them where they sat and chatted about random things. They saw that there was a streetball court in the area and the four guys decided to play a short game to pass the time. Aomine partnered with Akashi while the Seirin duo remained as teammates. Momoi kept score, and halftime ended with the points in favor of Akashi and Aomine. As the four sat panting on the bench, Momoi offered to get them some drinks from the vending machine just across the street.

"I'll go with you." Mizuki offered.

"Thanks, Mi-chan!" Momoi said happily. After asking their preferred drinks, the two went on their way.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"So iced tea for Akashi-kun, grape for Aomine-kun, apple for Kagamin and Pocari for Tetsu-kun...," Momoi said slowly as she got the respective drinks from the machine. Mizuki stood beside it, leaning on a post. Just as the Pocari dropped to the slot, a group of gangsters appeared and one of them approached the unaware pinkette and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"What a beautiful girl we have here." He sneered at the now terrified Momoi. She had experienced something like this back in middle school but Kuroko and the rest of the GoM was there to help her. But now—

"Get your filthy hands off her." Mizuki said, her head bowed, still unmoving from her position. The gang only laughed at her threat. One of them even commented, "Another hottie! More beautiful than this one, too! Say, boss, can we take the two of them?"

"Mi-chan!" Momoi had totally forgotten about the chartreusette in her moment of fear. "Run and call Akashi-kun and Aomine-kun! Quickly—Hmp!"

"Shut up! No one's leaving this area, especially Ms. Hot Stuff over there." The man holding Momoi had his hand covered over the pinkette's mouth as he looked Mizuki up and down in a rude manner.

"Don't worry. I don't plan on running away. Set her free." Mizuki said.

"Not if you play with us first, girlie."

"Play?" Mizuki raised her head, and her golden eyes shone with dark cold anger. Momoi shivered at the intensity of the hatred reflected in her eyes. Slowly, Mizuki removed herself from the post and stood up straight. "Fine. Let's play 'Who's Gonna Die First'."

Without warning, she lunged and placed a well-aimed kick to Momoi's captor, effectively making him back up a few steps away from the pinkette. Mizuki took the oppurtunity to pull Momoi over to and behind her.

"Are you alright?" She asked Momoi, who was still trembling a little.

"H-hai."

"You bitch! You'll pay for this!" The man had already stood back up, his face bloody as a result of his broken nose. He pulled back his fist and aimed a punch at Mizuki. However, Mizuki was fast to make a counterattack. Dancing out of his way, she went past him and delivered a quick jab at the pressure point at the back of his head. The man dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Who's next?" She asked the other members of the gang. All of them gulped nervously. Shaking their heads, they backed down and ran away, leaving their fallen leader behind. When Mizuki turned around, she saw that Akashi and the rest were already there. Looks like Momoi had called them for back-up.

"When did you get here?" She asked them as she walked over to Akashi's side.

"Just in time to see you deliver the finishing blow to that man," he replied. His eyes were on her, checking for possible injuries. "Are you hurt?"

Mizuki smoothed down her skirt. "Not at all. Is Sa-chan all right?"

It was Aomine who answered her query. "Yes, she is. A bit shaken, but unharmed." Aomine then looked away, and said, "Thanks for protecting her."

"It was nothing." Mizuki said.

"Momoi-san is fine thanks to Fujiwara-san. Thank you." Kuroko said.

"Where did you learn those moves?" Kagami asked from where he was, crouched in front of the sleeping man. "That was amazing." He said as he searched the back of the head of the gang leader. "Where do you have to hit a person to make him pass out?"

He froze in place when hand came in contact with the back of his own head. "Here," Mizuki pressed two fingers gently on the spot, "at the base of the skull where it connects with the spinal column. With the right amount of pressure, you can render a person unconscious. Too much and you can kill him."

Kagami stood up and they walked back to the group huddled around Momoi. "Why do you know things like that?"

"I take martial arts lessons. They teach us all about pressure points there."

"I see." Kagami said. _No wonder she gets along with Akashi. Now I'm not sure who's more terrifying — knowledge on pressure points or flying scissors?_

"Mi-chan!" Momoi hugged Mizuki tightly, a few tears on her cheeks. "Thank you for saving me! You are so brave!"

Mizuki's eyes widened, unsure of how to respond. She looked Akashi in the eyes. He just nodded at her reassuringly as she hugged the pinkette back. "Don't cry now, Sa-chan. He's not going to touch you again."

"Man, how I wish I can kick that bastard where it hurts the most." Aomine muttered darkly. He may not show it much but he really cares for his childhood friend — in a brotherly way, of course.

"Fujiwara-san did a good job at teaching that man a lesson." Kuroko said. He may be calm when he said that, but he was actually mad right now. _An Ignite Pass Kai to the face would have been a fitting punishment for this man's pervertness._

"Maybe it's better to send Satsuki home to rest. Daiki, you know what to do."

"Let's go, Satsuki." Aomine said.

"I'll go with you, Aomine-kun." Kuroko said. "Kagami-kun, do you mind?"

"No, I don't. I intend to pass by Maji's anyway." The taller redhead said. An agreement being reached, Kuroko turned to Akashi and bowed to him.

"Thank you again, Akashi-kun. Let's play again sometime."

"As many times as you want, Tetsuya." They shook hands after, and bid goodbyes to his old teammates as they went home. When he can no longer see them, he asked Mizuki where she wants to go next.

"We're not going back yet?" she asked him.

He glanced at his expensive timepiece. A little over three in the afternoon. Too early to go back to Kyoto.

"We still have time. Have you ever visited an aquarium, Mizuki?"

"No."

"Let's go then."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"What do you call those creatures?" Mizuki asked while pointing through the glass that separates them from the ocean itself. They were now in the third level, where one can observe sharks and other sea organisms that live in the deeper parts of the waters.

"Which one are you talking about, Mizuki?" Akashi asked, inching closer beside her.

"That orange-striped fish darting in and out from those plant-like creatures. What are they?"

"Those are clownfish, and the plant-like creatures are sea anemones. Those two organisms live in a symbiotic relationship where both benefit from one another. The sea anemones provide shelter for the clownfish while the clownfish in turn provides food for the sea anemone in some way," he explained.

"I see..." Mizuki said, still watching as the clownfish darted in and out of the sea anemones. A new creature wandered in her view. Another fish with long fins and orange stripes.

"How about that one?" She asked again.

"That's a lionfish. It carries poison in its fins." Akashi answered. "Would you like to see the dolphins?"

She nodded. Akashi took her hand and led her upstairs where the dolphins are kept. A man ushered them inside and soon, they stood beside the pool where the creatures are swimming gracefully in the water. A man was in the water along with them. The two watched as the man ordered the dolphins to perform some tricks for them.

"Would the beautiful lady and the handsome gentleman here like to try to feed them?" The trainer asked them.

Akashi nodded and the man handed them a bucket of fish and demonstrated the proper way to do it. When it was their turn, Akashi saw Mizuki smile when she fed her first dolphin succesfully.

When their bucket was empty, the trainer showed them where to wash their hands and led them outside. They then went on to see the seals and their ball-balancing act, and the penguins inside their Arctic pen. In the aquarium's souvenir shop, Akashi got Mizuki a medium-sized penguin chick plushie.

"Here. As a remembrance of your first aquarium visit." He held the item to her which she accepted hesitantly. She looked at the plushie intently for a few minutes, then told Akashi the question that she had been meaning to do for quite a while now.

"Akahshi, we need to talk."

Barely two months and Mizuki was already feeling out of sorts, particularly with her emotions. Her eyes wander to the redhead far too much to her liking, and she knows that the redhead was aware of that, as their eyes would occassionally when they thought that the other was not aware of their actions. And oftentimes, when that happens, Mizuki would catch a glimmer of happiness in Akashi's heterochromatic, and — does she dare say it? — it makes her feel warm inside.

It makes her feel human.

And she's not sure if that was a good or a bad idea. Probably the latter.

_This is just another mission and he's just another person whose face will be included in her long list of employers_, she reminded herself, a silent litany to keep her absurdities in check. Once she was through with this she'd remember this with astonishment mixed with self-disgust. If she chose to remember it at all.

"Talk about what…." The words trailed off as he saw the look in her eyes. "Mizuki?"

"About these things that you've been doing, that I've been doing — what **we've **been doing," she clarified, in case he was going to continue being deliberately obtuse.

Akashi can perfectly see where she was heading with this. "Why? There's nothing to say."

"We can't continue this façade any longer."

"Who said that it was all a façade? You're looking in my eyes right now, surely you can tell if I'm lying or not, am I right? Everything that I've done until now is something that's done naturally, with no ulterior motives, if that's what you're concerned about. And it's not out of gratitude, either. After all, you were hired to guard me. Everything was but an act of friendship."

"Friendship?"

"I assume that we're already friends, by now."

Mizuki denied it immediately. "No, we're not. We can't, and we really shouldn't." Her eyes grew cold and distant. "I'm merely going with the flow, just playing the part that was assigned to me. It's just my cover, so don't get fooled by it."

Akashi grabbed her wrist none too gently. His fingers dug in her flesh. "Don't you lie your way out of this. Even a blind man, after spending time with you, would know that every word that you've uttered just now are all fake. You may be skilled in the art of deceit but you can't lie to me. I know it when you lie, Mizuki, I know. So stop feeding me all these lies about pretending about your actions. Hearing you say it, it seems that you're convincing yourself more than me. So which is which, Mizuki? This time, tell me the truth."

"Don't think too highly of yourself, Akashi," she hissed as she pulled her arm out of his grip. "The truth, you say? It's what you want to hear, right? Then listen carefully, _**goshujin-sama, **_ and listen well. I'm only going to say this once and for all, to make you understand." The sneer dropped from her face, replaced by a serious one. She'd been careless earlier, allowing herself to relax around him, and she wouldn't put it past Akashi to see that remaining innocence that she kept heavily guarded behind her carefully constructed walls. Nothing much escapes his sharp gaze anyway.

"We're strangers when we first met, and I prefer to keep it that way until the end of this mission." She kept her voice light and unconcerned. "Unfortunately, you and I already has this connection, no matter how frail it is. It's already there, exactly why I want to prevent it from growing stronger by keeping everything between us on a professional level. The same with the rest of the basketball team. I say this now — this mission is the most problematic mission that I've taken so far. And it's all because of you."

"Because of me?" Akashi echoed.

She nodded. "Yes. It's all because of you. I don't know why or how, but you..." She heaved a sigh. "We're not friends, Akashi. Accept that fact."

"I won't. Despite your hostility to me at times, it seems that I've grown fond of your temper and stubborness."

"You seem to be placing you fondness or affection on the wrong person, Akashi. You don't say things like 'I am fond of you' to a murderer."

"You don't have to say that every time — I perfectly know what you are, what you've done, and what you're capable of doing. You don't have to add that as a cautionary note."

"If you know it, then why are you even —!"

"I am not fond of that particular identity of yours, however, you have other identities aside from that. I am fond of the Mizuki who was a Rakuzan student and a classmate of mine who hates Chemistry and pretends not to listen to the teachers, who gets high scores without even trying, who dislikes being called to do boardwork because it's troublesome, who doodles in the back of her notebooks instead of taking notes.

I am fond of the Mizuki who was the honorary manager of the basketball team, who always hands out towels and drinks to us during breaks, who likes playing rock-paper-scissors with Kotaro because you find it funny seeing him with a red nose, who never fails to kick Eikichi whenever he comments on your height, who actually enjoys it when Reo offers to braid your hair, who had taken a liking to Chihiro's light novels.

I am fond of the Mizuki who was my companion and my assistant of sorts, who would bring me tea everytime I get sleepy, who makes sure I didn't fall asleep while working, who tells me when it is time to eat because I tend to lose track of time when I'm working, who cooks the tastiest tofu soup I've ever tasted ever since my mother died, who would literally drag me from the study to my room just to make sure that I get enough sleep." Akashi smiled. "So you see, I've a lot of reasons why I am fond of you."

Mizuki was silent for a while. When she spoke, it was of pure curiousity and disbelief. Everything he said was true. "Do you seriously believe in all that?"

"Of course" was Akashi's firm reply.

She shook her head almost sadly. "Think again, Akashi. When you say you believe, you allow the possibility of disappointment, and from disappointment, betrayal, and from betrayal, despair. Would you risk it?"

"In life, one has to take risks. Except that I don't. I am fully confident that you will not disappoint nor betray me. I have complete trust in you."

Mizuki blinked. _Trust? _"Are you that quick to trust someone? You don't even know half the truth about me."

"In theory, given the way that I am raised and taught, I should be a creature of doubt. However, you are a special case. I know you won't do anything that will lead me to despair. Unless forced, you're not the type to stab others in the back. You never struck me as a traitor or a two-faced person."

"You talk as if you know me already."

Akashi's gaze turned gentle. "I know enough to make such assumptions. Given enough time, I am sure I'll get to know you better."

Mizuki chuckled darkly. "Then you're in for the horror of your life, Akashi. What happens then, if you did manage to know me as I truly am — would you be able to handle it? Will you be able be able to look at me as you do now, without turning away in disgust? In fear?"

Akashi grinned. "Would you like to put it to the test?"

Mizuki paused to consider. Which was odd. Obviously, she should be saying no, but here she was, actually thinking about whether or not she should allow Akashi inside her heart — or what's left of it anyway. Instead of cutting personal ties with him, it ended up with him actually finding a way to let him inside her walls.

_This is going to be troublesome._

Mizuki knows it, and she can already see the repercussions that this thing will have. Still, she decided to risk it.

Smirking back at Akashi, she said, "Do your worst."


	12. Chapter 12

*** XII. When You Prick A Person With A Needle, Red Blood Comes Out ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

The days passed in a blur not only for Akashi but for the female assassin as well, being dragged along on the redhead's ridiculous amount of work that just seemed to pile up before Akashi can even finish a single stack. Before the two realized it, Mizuki had been more or less Akashi's secretary and personal assistant. Due to the fact that they are practically together most of the time and after that conversation they had during their aquarium visit, their relationship is developing quite well, much to Akashi's satisfaction and to Kimiko's dismay.

As usual, the pair was engrossed with work concerning Rakuzan's upcoming club fair and Akashi's duties to the company being the heir and all. They worked on through the late hours of the night, ending only at a word from the chartreusette that they've done enough for the night, to which the redhead would refuse, only for the girl to clear the table of all the papers.

Including his laptop.

Weekends found them sprawled at a picnic blanket on the grounds of the manor, under the sakura trees that provides them a cool shade as they pore over numerous papers. There was simply no reprieve. Add to that their academics and Akashi's basketball club duties, and there just seems to be not enough hours in a day to do all that.

As his father was away on business conferences and whatnot, it was just the two of them in the huge manor. The cook fell sick for a week, but instead of finding a replacement, the two took turns manning the kitchen as both of them are quite decent cooks. Although this is partly because Akashi wants to have tofu soup more often, not that he would tell that to anyone.

Everything was going fine until a week before the fair, when the redhead woke up with a slight headache. Even with Mizuki helping him, the work was just too much that the two was sleeping a mere four or five hours a day for three weeks straight. He felt guilty dragging the chartreusette in this mess, but she was insistent on helping him.

_"What happens to not caring?" he asked her one time, planning to annoy her so that she'll hopefully walk out and leave him be, so that she'll have enough sleep herself. Mizuki though, saw through his plan easily and simply ignore him, annoying him instead._

Stubborn_, he thought._

It was Friday, where classes are suspended for the students to prepare and set up their booths for the fair that will start on Monday. Preparations will drag until Saturday, with Sunday as the final rundown and checking up on things. Early morning of Monday is the final check-up before the official start of the much anticipated week-long celebration of Rakuzan's school fair. One of the biggest events every year, this is where the school advertises itself and their excellency in everything to all the visitors that would be there during the fair. It's a good time for recruiting the best students there are to strenghten Rakuzan even more.

All in all, Friday is going to be a busy day.

Going through his usual morning routine, he descended the stairs to find that Mizuki had already did the same and had in fact cooked breakfast and prepared their bento. She greeted him before setting down a plate of a Western-style breakfast — bacon and eggs, couple of hash browns, and a cup of coffee — before getting her own. She whispered a silent thanks for the food and began to eat. All the while, Akashi's headache seemed to worsen.

"—shi? Akashi?"

He blinked. Mizuki had been calling his attention for a while now. "What?"

Mizuki placed her knife and fork off to the side of her plate and frowned. "You're spacing out." Her brows furrowed as she took in his appearance. "Are you sick?"

"I'm fine." He began to eat as if to prove his point. He had no appetite, and the food tasted like paper in his mouth. But for the sake of Mizuki's effort in cooking it, he forced himself to swallow it down. "Continue with your meal."

They finished their meal in silence, washed the dishes, went to their own rooms to brush their teeth, packed their bento, and soon, they were ready to go. However, Mizuki stopped him at the door.

"You have a fever." She laid a hand on his forehead, which was slightly warm against her skin.

"This is nothing. Let's go." Akashi walked away, and she clicked her tongue at his annoying tendency of pushing himself to his limit. Neither said a word on the drive to the school — Mizuki knowing that Akashi would be too stubborn to admit that he was sick indeed.

Akashi went with his duties while Mizuki had to stay behind at their classroom to help prepare for their own class booth. The redhead was thankful that she had quit bugging him that he is ill, but by lunchtime, he was regretting it. Walking up and down the stairs and all over the whole campus taxed him greatly, and by the time he reached the clubroom where Mizuki and the rest of the basketball team was waiting for him, he was already burning up.

He was barely standing up as he slid the door open, startling the other persons inside. It was then that he felt himself falling. The others were too surprised to move, even her.

In a rare display of genuine concern, Mizuki shoved the bentos to the arms of a startled Mibuchi and knelt beside the fallen Akashi. Putting a hand on his shoulders, she cupped his face with the other, angling it towards her. She almost flinched at his temperature, his eyes having trouble focusing on her. All of a sudden, Mizuki's golden eyes seemed to be so bright in color. Even her hair.

"Akashi!" Her usually calm voice had a sense of urgency in it. "Kyojin, help me carry him to the couch!"

Nebuya scrambled over, pulling Akashi on his feet effortlessly.

"Wait." With deft fingers, she shed Akashi's blazer and gave a quick tug at the tie round the redhead's neck to loosen it. "Put him there." As Nebuya did as she ordered, she sighed, looking at Akashi's blazer in her arms, before going off to the closet in the clubroom in search of a coat hanger.

"Sei-chan!~" Mibuch was hovering over their sick captain, clearly worried about his condition. This was the first time they'd seen Akashi in a weak state, and that unsettled them greatly.

The door slid open once again, and came Mayuzumi, a basin and a couple of towels he'd borrowed from the clinic. Being the phantom that he is, no one noticed him going out the room to get such items.

"Hayama-senpai, please get some cold water," Mizuki said as she approached the grayhaired boy. Murmuring her thanks, they went over to tend to the sick Akashi.

"He just has to run himself ragged," Mizuki found herself saying in mild exasperation. Akashi managed to give her a glare even in his feverish state, which Mizuki promptly ignored.

Hayama had returned with the water which he wordlessly gave to Mayuzumi. Emptying them to the basin, he wetted both towels and handed them to Mizuki.

With a gentle hand, she brushed off Akashi's hair from his forehead and laid one of the towels over it while she used the other one to wipe his face and neck. Dabbing the area around his eyes, she frowned slightly on seeing the dark circles under his eyes, a result of their late night escapades.

"The preparations are not yet —"

"I'll handle it. You're in no condition to be wandering around in the campus." Mizuki raised a green eyebrow at him. "Just rest."

"But –"

"But no. I'll tell Suzuki-senpai and the others on the council to do it."

"They won't —"

She cut him off once again. "Not going down without a fight, aren't you?" Pressing the towel a bit harder on his cheek, she growled silently. "Reo-nee, can I have some paper and pen? I'll write his will to the council."

"You make it sound like I'm dying," Akashi said, a bit annoyed at her actions. Although he was actually thrilled at the idea that she was taking care of him. Or not. Mizuki had been doing that ever since she started helping him with his work — acting as his moderator: telling him when to stop and rest, bringing him food...

"For once, Sei-chan, please listen Mi-chan. You really need to rest," Mibuchi said as he handed Mizuki her requested items.

"Okay, now out with it." Mizuki nonchalantly said. But before Akashi can say a word, she began writing on the notepad as she voiced them out loud.

"Emperor's Orders to the Council:

1\. Make sure each booth are in their proper locations and are properly set-up;

2\. The stage for the morning program is already prepared for use;

3\. Check the sound system and the necessary files like music, etc.;

4\. Make a report on all the accomplished tasks to be submitted through email by 7 pm;

5\. Prepare to die if my orders are not followed."

She showed it to him with a flourish. "Good enough?"

Around her, the basketball team snickered at the last line. Akashi glared at them, and they instantly shut their mouths. Lately, Akashi found out that the chartreusette can be a cheeky one at times, a result of her being more open with her emotions. Mizuki's eyes twinkled with unexpressed laughter.

"Remove the last one, Mizuki."

The girl clicked her tongue before tearing it off and rewriting it again on another clean sheet of paper. Satisfied, Akashi nodded and allowed a small smile on his pale lips as Mizuki rose and ordered Mibuchi to look over him while she'll go and inform the council about it. Mayuzumi volunteered to go with her.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

In the student council room, the members were surprised when a certain chartreusette barged in without so much as a knock — not that they would dare complain. They would not dare risk the anger of their redhaired president by saying such things against her.

"Suzuki-senpai." She approached the blonde vice-president and handed him the paper containing Akashi's orders. "Akashi was not feeling well, so I trust you to do his duties in his place."

"O-of course. I noticed, too, that Akashi-kaichou was a bit under the weather this morning, but then, we were hesitant to tell him to take a break because —"

The girl's eyes softened. "I know, Suzuki-senpai. I'm not blaming you. Akashi can be a bit stubborn. Well, that's all. I'm expecting to receive an accomplishment report this afternoon. We'll be at the basketball clubroom. I'll be going, senpai."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"How's Akashi?" was the first thing that Mizuki asked the ravenhead upon her return. As Mibuchi replaced the towel on their captain's forehead, he shook his head worriedly.

"His fever's gone higher."

"For someone so intelligent, he can be an idiot at times." she muttered. Everyone gulped at her words. "Why don't you eat your lunch? I'll take care of him for the meantime. You still got things to do after lunchbreak, right?"

"How about —"

She cut off Nebuya's concerned look. "I'll eat later — maybe when Akashi wakes up." Her tone left no room for argument.

Once the bell rang and she was the only one left in the clubroom with Akashi, Mizuki decided to read the book that she had borrowed from the library days ago. Settling on the floor with her back to to the couch, she started to flip through the pages of the thick volume, pausing once in a while to change the cloth on the redhead's forehead. She was relieved when his temperature dropped to almost normal within an hour. Her eyes were trained on the book on her lap when she felt him stir from his slumber not long after.

"You're awake." She muttered softly without facing him. More movements on the couch behind her.

"What are you reading?" Akashi asked, sitting up slowly, a hand cradling his head. He hated how his voice sounded weak. His temples throbbed, though not really painful, and he was slightly dizzy.

"Philosophy book," she simply replied as she got up and placed the book on the low table nearby. She checked his temperature. "Fever almost gone. How are you feeling?"

Her emotionless mask was back in place. Akashi remembered how flustered she was earlier. Her usual monotonous voice was riddled with emotions — faint, but noticeable. He sighed as he answered. "I'm fine now. A little dizzy, but that's a given."

She handed him his bento. "Can you eat?"

"Of course."

Deeming it acceptable to let Akashi to his own devices, she resumed her earlier position before Akashi had woken up. The redhead had not given her choice of reading material much thought, but now...

She was close enough for him to be able to take a peek over her shoulder at the pages of the book on her lap. The writings were tiny but Akashi's eyes had always been sharp. They widened a fraction in understanding.

Fujiwara Mizuki was reading Nietszche's _Beyond Good and Evil._

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

When the basketball team returned later that afternoon, carrying the reports of the student council with them, their usual loud greetings died in their throat.

For there on the couch, lie their redhaired captain, and on the floor beside it, head bowed with a thick book on her lap, was a certain chartreusette. Both had their eyes closed, peacefully sleeping in each other's company.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Akashi."

A dim light stung at his eyes. A cold cloth was being pressed to the nape of his neck. It was very soothing. He tried to sit up, and someone helped him do so.

"Mizuki..."

"Are you awake? Can you see me?"

"Somewhat. Why are you here?"

Mizuki furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "I woke up to you groaning in pain. I can hear you from inside my room. It seems that your fever has gone higher." She pressed the wet cloth on his forehead. She was seated Indian-style beside him in her pale blue pyjamas.

"Do you feel dizzy?" she asked after a while.

"A bit."

"Nausea?"

"...No."

"Headache?"

"..Yes, but not too much."

"Good to hear. You were totally delirious when I first came in."

Just then, she yawned. It must have been the middle of the night, and Akashi felt guilty for waking her up.

"Mizuki..," Akashi began hesitantly.

"Hai?"

He was about to say something but his throat was dry. So dry, it was painful. A glass was handed to him. It was full of clear water. Mizuki inched closer as she assisted him in drinking, holding the glass for him as his own hands were shaking. He hates this — being sick, that is. He feels so weak.

He drained the glass. He was now able to take a deep breath, and speak.

"You could have just woken one of the maids..."

"Why would I, when I'm just next door to you?" Mizuki returned the glass to the bedside table. "Feeling better?" Akashi nodded. "Your temperature has gone down, but I'm not sure if it will stay that way. I was thinking, maybe you should at least change your pajama top? It was quite soaked with your sweat."

"I apologize for having you take care of me. You must be quite tired yourself." Akashi said as Mizuki went to get him a new top.

"Instead of apologizing, can't you just say thanks and be over with it?" she muttered, sitting back on the bed. "Take it off." Akashi gave her an odd look. "What?"

"I can change by myself," he said as he reached for the new one.

She snorted. "Really," she said flatly as she watched Akashi almost wince at having to stretch his sore muscles when he took it off. "Akashi." She took the new pajama top from him and helped him into it. "You just have to ask, you know. I know you're not one to ask for help, but some situations call for it."

"I was perfectly capable of doing it even without your help," Akashi grumbled. "If anything, I think you just want to see me naked."

"What?!" Akashi chuckled at her reaction. She was buttoning up his top when he said that, and she jerked away from him in a split-second, as if her fingers were burned. "Akashi, you —"

"I didn't expect this," Akashi continued in a low voice. "So you're just being a tsundere all this time?" His fingers took ahold of Mizuki's hand, which was rested on the sheets beside his own. Akashi's fingertips felt along her hand, and pressed down lightly at intervals. Mizuki brushed Akashi's fingers away, and jumped down from the bed. She had an incredulous look on her face, her usual composure gone.

"—you—!" She took a deep calming breath. "Don't let your imagination run wild. I'm not interested in your body or whatever — it's not something knew to me. Where did you even got the idea?!"

Akashi smile was sly and mischievous. "So you had a habit of looking at half-naked males?"

"Wha—No!" She facepalmed. "You know what, you— Just go to sleep, will you? I don't know if that's just the fever talking or that's really your true self, I— Kami, wipe that smirk off your face."

"And if I don't...?"

"Has the fever damaged your brain?" she muttered, truly freaked out by this side of Akashi. Why was she even that affected by a few words and touches? "Go to sleep!"

She glared at him, to which Akashi chuckled as he laid back on his bed. "Hai, hai."

"Hmp." Mizuki went to the door, and just before she turned the doorknob, she heard him say quietly, "Good night, Mizuki."

A small smile tugged on the corners of her lips.

_Good night to you too, Bakashi. _

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Just before dawn, Mizuki returned to Akashi's room to check up on his condition. She placed a gentle hand on his forehead, then to his neck. The redhead did not even stir from the contact — exhaustion, probably.

His fever seemed to be gone for good, but Mizuki decided not to allow him to go to school later that day. He needs to rest — his council members can handle things for now. They're not imbeciles, right?

_Gotta hide all his paperworks, even his laptop maybe? Have to cook soup for breakfast, then maybe we can have tofu for lunch..._ As Mizuki's brain planned the day's schedule, she realized that everything was for the redhead. Looking back at the sleeping figure on the bed, she thought with a wry smile, _This man is going to be the death of me._


	13. Chapter 13

*** XIII. This Is Just The Beginning Of Something ***

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A brunette came running up to them, whom Akashi recognized as the one in charge of the costumes for their class booth. She was panting as she finally reached the stage where Akashi and Mizuki was currently standing, having done their round inspection of the whole school in preparation for the actual fair two hours away.

"Ayako-san." Mizuki greeted the newcomer.

"Good morning, Fujiwara-chan, Akashi-san." Then turning to the chartreusette, she said, "Fujiwara-chan, let's go back to the classroom — we have to get you in your costume! Akashi-san, can I borrow Fujiwara-chan for a while?"

The redhead ignored the slightly fearful tone in the girl's voice as she spoke the last sentence. He nodded his consent. "It's fine. I'll go along as well — I have to check our class booth also."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Upon reaching the classroom, Mizuki was shoved promptly inside the makeshift changing room, along with her costume. She emerged a few minutes later, earning several squeals from the girls and wide eyes from the boys in their class.

"Kyaa~! Fujiwara-chan, kawaii~!" Ayako rushed over, fixing a few places that the chartreusette had overlooked. "You look perfect!"

Akashi, who was asking the one in charge of the menu, turned his head to look at the sudden commotion. He was about to get the class back to order when his eyes locked on her.

The chartreusette was wearing a black and white two piece ensemble consisting of a tube top and a skirt. The tube top was black laced together in the front with a white ribbon. It ended a few inches above her navel, showing her toned midriff and slim waist. The skirt is of the same color scheme, alternating black and white layer of silk and lace , short at the front but slowly lenghtening at both sides until it reached the floor behind her. Black heels with ribbons wraped around her slender calf completed her outfit.

At the moment, Mizuki turned her head and their eyes met. She walked towards him, hushing their classmates when they remembered that Akashi was there. She stood before him and fiddled with the ribbon around her left wrist. She was having trouble tying it up. As she struggled with it, she muttered, half to herself and half to Akashi, "This dress is troublesome."

Akashi smirked. That was the closest that Mizuki came to complaining. Technically speaking, this was not part of her job but then it was necessary to keep up with appearances.

"You look absolutely beautiful in it," he said before holding her wrist and tying the ribbon in an elegant bow. As he tightened the knot, Mizuki felt her heart race when he said those words.

Okay, so since when did she actually care if she is beautiful or not?

"Fujiwara-chan, come here over for a while! I still have to do your hair and make-up!"

Akashi suddenly had an idea. "Ayako."

"H-hai! What is it, A-akashi-san?"

"Focus on her eyes. Her lips is fine as it is. And curl her hair—" here Akashi twirled a lock of chartruese hair on his finger, "—like this."

"A-as you say so, Akashi-san! Fujiwara-chan, if you may...?" She gestured to a chair in front of the mirror.

"Go," Akashi whispered, along with a small shove at her. And for the second time that day, Mizuki found herself being dolled up once again.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Akashi was unable to see the greenhaired beauty to be completely made up as he had to oversee the start of the program to welcome all those who had came over to their school fair. It was during his speech when his eyes saw a rainbow among the crowd. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he thought, _'What are they doing here?_

"Akashicchi!" A blonde young man with handsome features jogged to where Akashi was after getting off the stage after his speech, having paused at the sound of a certain someone's voice calling out his name with enthusiasm.

"Ryouta." He greeted his former teammate. He regarded Kise carefully, from the perpetual smile on his face and of course, that confident aura that he exudes — part of him being a model. Kise, as always, is dressed fashionably — nothing exaggerated, just your daily casual wear for day-to-day activities, but Kise always had a knack for making anything he wore to look good, even if it's just a simple long sleeved shirt over khaki pants.

However, said model is far from confident when subjected to Akashi's unnerving stare. He chuckled nervously. Akashi is not amused.

"What are you doing here, Ryouta? On a school day, nonetheless. Are you skipping classes?"

Kise visibly paled. _Shit_. How could he have forgotten? Even though they were no longer teammates, Akashi had always kept tabs on each and every one of them, and had reprimanded them if they did something that did not please the redhead. Sure, it was creepy, like having a stalker or something, but in a way, that was just Akashi showing his care for his friends and former teammates. If not for Akashi, Kise would have had difficulty passing their latest exams.

But back to the matter at hand. He scratched the back of his head apologetically. "Well... It's just for today! I was curious about Akashicchi's school and so when I heard that Rakuzan was having a festival, I decided to come to visit!" He pointed to where he came from. "And not only me — the rest of the Kiseki came along as well! And some people..." He trailed off.

"Some people" referred to Himuro Tatsuya, Kagami Taiga, and Takao Kazunari who had tagged along with their respective partners. Of course, Momoi was present, but as a rule, wherever Aomine goes, she goes, and besides, she was their manager back in Teiko which makes her somehow a part of the Kiseki no Sedai in a way.

Akashi frowned, displeased. _Just what are they thinking? Skipping classes all for a school festival all the way here in Kyoto? _When this is over, he'll make sure that they won't do this again in the future.

The group approached him and Kise warily, aware of the frown marring Akashi's regal features. Arms crossed, he faced them and said without preamble, "Just this once. Do this again, and I'll make sure you'll never think of skipping classes the same ever again."

All of them gulped and nodded at him, including the three who do not belong to the Kiseki no Sedai. And then, Akashi turned around and walked away, saying, "Well then, welcome to Rakuzan's school festival."

Being the student council president, it is Akashi's job to go on rounds to check on each booth if they are having any problems or difficulty. "To go on rounds" means that Akashi has to walk up and down all those buildings and visit each booth, ask a few questions, and proceed to the next one. It was supposed to be an easy job, but with the group tagging behind him, the redhead felt like he was a tourist guide to a bunch of idiots.

"Uwaaah! The ghosts here are very realistic! Sugoi!" Kise exclaimed as they entered the third years' haunted house.

"C-can we g-go out n-now, pl-please?" Aomine stuttered, trying hard not to hide behind Murasakibara.

"What? Aominecchi's afraid of ghosts?" Kise's eyes widened in surprise, before he burst out laughing. This angered Aomine, of course, especially when the rest of the group decided to join in teasing him.

"Aomine-kun thought I was a ghost at first, too. He even covered his ears and chanted some weird incantations at me that time," Kuroko said, taking a sip of his milkshake. He seemed unaffected, but to those who knew him well, he was actually trying not to laugh.

"Don't go telling that to everyone Tetsu!" Aomine yelled.

Just then, a cold hand laid itself on his shoulder. When he turned around, he came face to face with a pale face with blood dripping from its mouth.

"Boo." It said to him.

Aomine screamed bloody murder, which was when Akashi deemed it appropriate to intervene. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stood next to Aomine, and motioned to Kuroko who was on the other side of the tanned ace. Understanding perfectly, Kuroko nodded to him then gave Aomine a jab at the side, like the one he gave to Kagami during one of their games back in InterHigh last year.

"Ow! What the hell was that for, Tetsu?!" He glared at the shorter male, who was sipping his milkshake, looking innocent as ever.

"Language, Daiki." Akashi said. "And I've had enough of your screaming. You are old enough not to be scared of these things. And Chihiro, you do not have to scare him."

"Mayuzumi-san." Kuroko greeted the other phantom standing in front of them.

Aomine turned his glare to the "ghost" that scared him earlier. Ah, so that explains why he didn't sense hin when he came up behind him. It was Rakuzan's phantom.

"I apologize. They are too noisy."

"Indeed." Akashi agreed. "Anyway, how is your booth faring, Chihiro?"

"Quite well. There are a lot of visitors, but since it's nearing lunch time, most have gone out to eat first." Mayuzumi replied, dusting off his shoulder.

"Good. Tell me if something happens." Akashi said. "Keep up the good work, then."

"Aa."

Akashi had turned to leave, then stopped midstride as he remembered something. "Chihiro," he called out.

"What is it?"

"Since I have guests, we'll be having lunch out back by the garden. Meet us there when you're done with your shift."

"Okay." Mayuzumi nodded, and Akashi finally walked away, with the group behind him. Mayuzumi stood there for a moment before going off to the restroom to fix himself up for lunch.

Akashi sent a message to his other teammates about the new arrangements for lunch, as well as an order to some of his servants to prepare the place for them and to bring additional food for his unexpected guests. He then went to the second years' building and headed for his own classroom to pick Mizuki up.

He could see her already, standing by the doorway as she ushered the costumers in and thanking those who were leaving. He saw her bow and gave thanks to a pair of first-year girls who looked at her in admiration. They smiled back at Mizuki before they finally went on their way. When they passed him by, he heard one of them say, "...Fujiwara-sama looks so beautiful..."

Behind him, Momoi said, "Isn't that Mi-chan?"

It was Kagami who answered her. "Probably. No one could have that kind of hair color aside from her."

"Eh? Who's Mi-chan, Momoicchi? Is she your friend? But why does Kagamicchi knows her also?" Kise asked, curious.

Before anyone could reply to the blonde's questions, the group reached their destination and Kise heard Akashi speaking to someone.

"Mizuki."

"Oh, Akashi."

Now, this doubled Kise's curiousity, as well as those who haven't seen or heard of Mizuki before. The one Akashi was talking to is obviously a female. Stepping out behind Midorima, Kise looked to where Akashi is, and that was when he saw her. About Momoi's height, she had a fair complexion, a slim build, gold eyes that resembles Akashi's Emperor Eye, and hair that was the color of lime.

"I came here to get you for lunch. Your shift's nearly over."

"I've ten more minutes to go." The girl shook her head. Akashi raised an eyebrow at her reply.

"I'm sure they won't mind your absence. I'll tell them." And then he was gone, into the classroom to tell the one in charge of the booth that he's taking their "mascot" away.

Of course, they had no choice but to let her go.

Meanwhile, outside, Mizuki was being smothered by a hug from Momoi. The moment Akashi stepped inside, the pinkette immediately dove for the chartreusette.

"Mi-chaaaan~!" Momoi greeted her. "Nice to see you again!" She released her and looked her over, then squealed. "Mi-chan, you're so lovely in your dress! Kawaii~!

"Ah. Arigatō, Sa-chan." Mizuki simply replied. Her attention was on the group of people before her. "Nice to see you again, Kuroko, Aomine, and Kagami."

The aforementioned greeted her in kind. She then looked to the other people in the group. "Nice to meet you, too. I assume you are friends of Akashi, am I right? I'm Fujiwara Mizuki, hajimemashite."

They introduced themselves to her after she greeted them. All in all, they were an odd group, and it made Mizuki wonder how Akashi seemed to fit in that mess.

Akashi returned just then, and after knowing that they were already acquainted with the chartreusette, he took her hand and led them to where their lunch awaits them.

When they arrived at the back garden, Mibuchi and Mayuzumi were already there, sitting on a gigantic picnic blanket that's spread out on the ground. On the side are several baskets of food and a cooler that contained the drinks. Inviting them in, each of them sat on the blanket in a sort of a circle. Mizuki found herself between Akashi and Mibuchi.

"Mi-chaan~!" The raven-haired shooter said as he plopped himself beside her. "My, imouto's looking so pretty today, hmmm?"

Mizuki ignored him as she rearranged her skirt. It was only then that she realized that the skirt was a bit short, and that doesn't help when her midriff was already exposed as it is. Realizing her predicament, Akashi removed his blazer and spread it out on her lap.

"Use it for the meantime." He said to her when she looked up at him with questioning eyes.

"Arigatō", she said quietly. All the while, everyone was watching that brief exchange between her and the feared emperor in rapt attention.

It was Takao who broke the silence. "Say," he whispered none too gently at Midorima, "are they... dating or something?"

Around him, the people looked fearful for him and started praying for his soul. Midorima elbowed him and said harshly, "Takao!"

Off to the side, Mayuzumi felt his eyebrow twitch.

Emperor Eye met Hawk Eye as he stared Takao to submission. "Do not go making assumptions, Kazunari."

"Akashi-kun and Mi-chan are just close friends, Takao-kun." Momoi supplied helpfully. Truthfully, she was also thinking that there might be something more — Akashi's actions are surely not just an act of friendship... Or was it?

"Mi-chan and Sei-chan are just like that, please don't mind them," Mibuchi added jokingly.

"Heh, sorry..." Takao laughed awkwardly. He looked at Mizuki. She didn't even react at his statement. He had half expected her to blush or protest, but what she did was nothing. Just sat there and looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Oi, Chibi! What are you doing dressed like that?" A booming voice announced Nebuya's arrival, a grinning Hayama beside him.

Akashi heard Mizuki tsk-ed beside him. Her snarky side seemed to be reserved just for their center. When Nebuya was within hearing distance, she said, "At least it's better than what you're wearing yourself, Kyojin."

Nebuya was wearing something that looked like a blanket draped on him to create some semblance of a Greek toga but didn't look right on his buff body. He grunted as he took a seat next to Mayuzumi. "Heh. Too lazy to change. Anyway," he gazed at the group seated on the picnic blanket, "quite a party we have here."

"Indeed. Now that we're complete, let's have our lunch." Akashi ordered.

Since they were the ones nearest to the food baskets, Kise, Himuro, and Mayuzumi were the ones who set up the food while Hayama handed out the drinks. There are spaghetti, sushi, tofu, even milkshake and oshiruko for Kuroko and Midorima.

And of course, there's pizza.

"Hey, Chibi, mind if I take a slice?" Nebuya said midway in their meal.

"No, I don't. Just as long as you don't inhale everything, Kyojin." Mizuki replied.

Rakuzan's center laughed loudly. "Don't worry, just a slice. No need to get all worked up."

Mizuki huffed at that. She picked up her can of juice, only to realize that it was already empty. "Mayuzumi-senpai, can I please have another of this?" She held up the can for him to see.

However, it was Kise who turned to get her juice. "Let me, Mizukicchi!" After a brief rummaging in the cooler, he found the one she like and handed it to her, smiling brightly all the while. "Here it is!"

"Ah. Arigatō, Kise."

The blonde laughed. "You're welcome, Mizukicchi! Ano, you don't mind, do you?"

Mizuki opened her can of juice and gracefully took a sip. "Mind what, Kise?"

"Me calling you Mizukicchi. "Fujiwaracchi" is a mouthful." He chuckled.

"What's with the '—cchi'?" Himuro asked.

"Kise being annoying, that's what." Aomine said.

"Aominecchi!" the blonde protested.

"Kuroko said that Kise adds '—cchi' to the names of the people that he respects." Kagami said to Himuro.

"I see." Himuro nodded thoughtfully.

"No, I don't mind." Mizuki answered. "It's just a name."

The group spoke of random topics while they ate. Most of it was basketball-related, of course. A brief squabble erupted between Aomine, Kise, and Kagami, and Akashi had threatened them to behave themselves or else. When they were through with lunch, they rested for a while before Akashi stood up and straightened his clothes. He held out a hand to Mizuki, who took it as she too stood up, his blazer slung over her arm. He checked the time on his wristwatch.

Ten minutes before one o'clock.

"You better hurry up now, Reo, Kotaro, Mibuchi, Chihiro, Eikichi. Your shifts are about to start."

They nodded and stood up. Thanking Akashi for the meal, they bid their goodbyes to the rest of the group. Mizuki got special treatment, of course.

"Bye, Chibi! Drop by our booth later, I'll give you some pizza chips!"

"Bye bye, Mizuki-chan!"

"Ja ne, imouto-chan~!" Reo hugged her then patted her head lightly, chuckling when Mizuki irritatedly swatted his hand away. "Sei-chan, you won't mind going to our booth with Mi-chan later, would you?" When Akashi raised an eyebrow at him, he waved at them, "Well then, see you later~!"

Mayuzumi was the quietest of them all. "I'll be going." He laid a hand on her head, but unlike Mibuchi's, she didn't remove his hand. "If it's not much of a bother, please visit our booth. It's a haunted house, if you're interested." He shoved his hand in his pocket, then nodded at Akashi.

And they were gone.

Meanwhile, Akashi's servants are already cleaning up their lunch, and soon were gone also. The Kiseki no Sedai and their companions gaped as the servants bowed to Akashi before they departed. Yes, they are well aware of Akashi's wealth but witnessing it is another thing.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Takao asked no one in particular.

"We're obviously going to visit the booths. Isn't that what we're here for?" Midorima said. It looked like he was in a hurry to go and do just that. Of course, Akashi knew why.

"First floor, freshmen building," Teikos former captain said. Midorima nodded, then headed off.

"Let's go, Takao."

"O-oi! Shin-chan!" Takao yelled as Midorima kept on walking. "Sheesh, what a troublesome guy," he grumbled. "Gotta go now, Shin-chan and I are gonna go hunting for his lucky items!" And then to Mizuki, "See ya later! Nice meeting you, by the way!" And then he ran off to where his partner was, calling out to the green-haired shooter to wait for him.

"They sure get along together," Himuro said, watching the two walk away.

"Mido-chin is a tsun-tsun," Murasakibara said as he tore open a new bag of chips.

"Tsun-tsun?" Kuroko asked, oblivious.

"Mukkun means that Midorin is a tsundere." Momoi answered, chuckling.

"It's a great wonder how Takaocchi puts up with him. Kami knows how difficult it is to deal with Midorimacchi at times."

"I wonder about how your teammates deal with you, too."

"Aominecchi, why do you have to be so mean to me?" Kise whined.

"Because you're annoying."

Kise complained loudly, and Kagami clicked his tongue. "You guys argue too much. You're like a married couple."

At his statement, the group minus Kuroko, Aomine, Kise, Akashi, and Mizuki burst out laughing. Murasakibara pointed at the two and said in a bored yet amused tone, "Mine-chin, just propose to Kise-chin already."

"What the fuck are you saying, Murasakibara? This is your fault, Bakagami!" Aomine roared.

"Eh? Aominecchi doesn't want me? I'm hurt," Kise played along, placing a hand dramatically on his chest, pretending that he was hurt. "And I thought that you loved me..."

This freaked the tanned ace even more as the group laughed even louder. Kuroko's eyes shone with amusement. Even Akashi was smirking as Kise played the part of a rejected lover. "Shut up, Kise!"

"Mou, Aominecchi..." Kise moved closer to him, and Aomine took a step back for every step forward that the blonde took. However, looking at Aomine's face, it was getting harder for Kise to maintain his act and soon he gave up and burst out laughing.

"Hahahahaha! Aominecchi's face is priceless! Hahaha!" Tears formed in Kise's eyes as he laughed out loud, clutching his stomach and pointing at Aomine who was glaring at him.

"Kise, you bastard...!" He glowered.

"Oh come on, Dai-chan, don't be mad. It was just a joke," Momoi said to her childhood friend as she finally forced herself to stop laughing. God, that was the most funny thing she saw. Even more when Kise played along as well.

"Hmp. It's not funny." Aomine said, crossing his arms and walking back to the group. "Bakagami."

"You saying, Ahomine?" Kagami countered.

"And now, you two are the ones who act like a married couple," Mizuki said, standing there with her arms crossed, watching them.

"Make your choice already, Daiki. Taiga or Ryouta?" Akashi sighed, shaking his head disappointedly, joining in the fun.

And a new round of laughter and teasing directed to a certain ganguro commenced.


	14. Chapter 14

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

*** XIV. Something Else In Mind ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Where do you want to go first?" Akashi asked Mizuki when they were finally all alone. She raised an eyebrow at him and simply replied,

"I'm going back to our booth."

Akashi stared straight ahead of them. "You're free for the rest of the afternoon. You might as well enjoy the festival, after all, you helped a lot in putting it together."

He waited as she seemed to consider his words. The group had parted ways earlier as they had their own preferences on which booth to visit. Momoi had asked Kuroko to come with her, to which the phantom obliged. Surprisingly, Aomine, Kise, and Kagami teamed up, and Himuro tagged along with Murasakibara.

"Do you want to go to their booths?" he suggested, referring to the offer of their third-year friends.

"...Hai."

As they headed to the West building where the third-year booths are, Mizuki was totally aware of Akashi's hands casually brushing against hers due to their close proximity as they walked. And as usual, the other students made way for them as they pass by. At first, the student population of Rakuzan was surprised at Akashi's relationship with the chartreusette, but they were wise enough to keep their speculations to themselves. As time passed, they were now accustomed to seeing their student council president with Mizuki always beside him. No one's complaining, of course; on the contrary, they were thankful at the girl's arrival as she seemed to be the reason why Akashi seemed more carefree than before. It's like she had this calming effect on the redhead...

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Akashi Seijuurou!"

Mizuki narrowed her eyes at the senior student that suddenly stepped out from one of the classrooms and called out Akashi's name in a very loud voice. Beside her, Akashi slowly turned his head to look at the said person, who was standing in the doorway, hands on his waist, and a challenging look on his face.

"Akashi Seijuurou!" the senior called out once again. "I, the president of Rakuzan's shogi club, am challenging you for a match!"

The redhead's answer was an amused glint in his heterochromatic orbs and a faint smirk on his lips. He raised his chin slightly as if telling the man to continue.

"Today, I will definitely win!"

"Is he insane?" Mizuki muttered to herself. She knows how good Akashi is at shogi, and there's no doubt who will be the victor of the proposed match between the shogi club president and the basketball club president.

There was a tug on her arm and Mizuki raised her head to look at the now-smiling Akashi. "Do you mind if we step in there for a minute? It seems that someone needs to know his place."

With a shrug of her shoulders, the chartreusette gave her consent, and together they entered the battlefield.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

It was at the Shogi Club booth that Momoi and Kuroko found Mizuki and Akashi in the middle of an intense match. Momoi wondered if Akashi still goes about the booths like a bounty hunter, accepting challenges here and there and collecting prizes nonchalantly. Pulling Kuroko with her, she scanned the area near Akashi for signs of a sack or something of the sort where he dumps all his bounties.

She found none.

Instead, a lime-haired girl sat beside the redhead, holding the shogi pieces that Akashi had taken from his opponent. Momoi watched as Akashi handed yet another shogi piece to her, and her sharp eyes did not miss the way how Akashi's fingers brushed against Mizuki's palm in an almost loving caress.

"This is nostalgic..." the pinkette muttered as she took in the crowd surrounding Akashi's table.

Kuroko smiled. "Yes, it is. It seems that Akashi-kun still gets challenged by other clubs — just like he had back in Teiko."

Somehow, the two of them pitied the person going against their former captain.

"Isn't there a time limit for a player to make his move?" It was Mizuki who asked that question, and it sounded like she was being impatient at Akashi's opponent whose brows were furrowed deeply in thought.

"This is not chess, Mizuki."

"...Oh."

Suddenly, the club president yelled, "Take this!" and with a loud clack, he made his move. There was a smug look on his face, as if he was already certain of his victory.

Another clack on the shogi board was Akashi's answer.

"Oute."

"—What?!"

A silence fell among the crowd. Akashi's skill in making decisions in a split second left the spectators in shocked admiration.

"...How did that happen...?" the club president asked himself as he stared at the board in disbelief. "...How...?"

From the sidelines, Kuroko said, "He should've known already. If it is Akashi-kun, it's something to be expected."

The players stood up and shook hands. Akashi asked afterwards, "Where then is my reward?" It seems that the two had a deal concerning their respective club funds.

The club president paled before pulling out a cheque from his pocket and handing it over to Akashi. The redhead smiled. "Splendid. Well then, we'll be taking our leave. Let's go, Mizuki."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Akashi-kun! Mi-chan!" Momoi greeted them in the corridor. She and Kuroko had went out earlier and decided to wait for the two, and hopefully, Momoi could get Akashi to let them tag along with him and Mizuki.

"Akashi-kun, Mizuki-san."

A gentle smile crossed Akashi's lips. "Tetsuya, Satsuki." The emperor continued walking, a wordless invitation for the two to follow them. "How was your visit to Rakuzan so far?"

"It was very impressive! Everyone did a good job with their booths and all!" Momoi can't help but gush. This was nothing compared to Toō's school fair held last month.

"Akashi-kun did a wonderful job," Kuroko added, sipping at a vanilla milkshake he purchased from a first-year cafe with appreciation.

"Mizuki helped me a lot in the planning of the school festival. I credit the excellence of the booths to her."

All three of them blinked at the redhead's words. After all, it was rare for him to give such praise to someone. Mizuki looked to the side and softly said, "It was nothing."

"I see... Anyway, where do you plan to go, Akashi-kun?" Momoi asked.

"We'll be visiting my teammates' class booths. You can go with us if you wish."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Their first stop was Nebuya and Hayama's Greek-themed cafe-slash-photo booth. Visitors can either try the class' Greek-inspired snacks and drinks or they can dress up in Greek costumes and have their picture taken along with the Greek gods and goddesses — chosen students of the class that represented the twelve Olympians and other significant characters from the Greek mythology. Girls dressed in flowing white robes greeted the four at the entrance. At the same moment, Hayama emerged from the photo booth accompanied by several freshmen students.

Hayama waved at them as they went out. "Thank you for coming! Ah, Captain! Mizu-chan!" He skipped his way to the quartet with a wide grin. "Welcome to our booth! Hermes at your service!"

Indeed, Hayama was dressed as the messenger of the gods, and in his hands was a cadduceus. A golden helmet and winged sandals completed his character portrayal. Mizuki gave him an amused smile.

"Wait until you see Nebuya!" And with that, he rushed inside and returned in a heartbeat with Rakuzan's center in tow. Hayama grinmef as he presented him to the four. "Tada!"

"Wha— Oh, Chibi, welcome to — Owww!"

Akashi sighed. "Thank you, Mizuki."

"What was that kick for?" Nebuya loudly complained as he rubbed his bruised shin, where the girl had kicked him with the pointed tip of her sandals.

"I'm not that small to be called a chibi, and I'm not even sure if you're only referring to me or to the two of us." She glanced at Kuroko and Momoi. "Or maybe four?"

"Okay, enough of that," Hayama intervened. "So, to the cafe or to the photo booth?"

Kuroko and Momoi chose the photo booth, while Akashi and Mizuki would rather sip some ambrosia while looking around the booth. When they were about to leave though, Nebuya grabbed Mizuki for a picture, along with Hayama. Akashi merely smiled at the sidelines.

"I'll give you your copy later, Mi-chan!" was Hayama's words as he waved them goodbye from the classroom door.

_Maybe I'll get us a team photo sometime, _Akashi mused.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

They headed next for Mayuzumi's haunted house. Kuroko hesitated at the entrance.

"Kuroko, is there a problem?" Akashi asked, pausing as well.

The bluenette glanced at Momoi worriedly. "I remember that Momoi-san is afraid of haunted houses..." he said, thinking of that time back in Teiko when they joined that contest.

"Is that so...?" Akashi also looked at Momoi.

The pinkette blushed. _Tetsu-kun remembered!_ "Ah, it's fine! I'm not scared of them anymore!" _If I'm with Tetsu-kun, probably..._

Akashi was looking at her with a knowing glint in his eyes, but said nothing. Instead, he nodded his consent. "Then stay close to Kuroko," making Momoi blush harder. It's like Akashi had heard her thoughts. A warm hand enveloped hers, and she looked up, heart pounding. She was met by Kuroko smiling softly at her.

"Let's go, Momoi-san?"

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

The classroom was pitch-black, lit only by dim, reddish-orange lights inside grotesque jack-o-lanterns perched atop the walls of the maze-like haunted house. White smoke covered the floor, hiding their feet from view. An eerie music played in the background.

"Is Sa-chan going to be fine?" Mizuki asked quietly to Akashi. Kuroko and Momoi were trailing behind them, talking silently.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting scream echoed in the darkness.

"T-Tetsu-kun!"

"Momoi-san, I'm here, don't worry."

However, Mizuki's reaction to the scream was: "How troublesome..."

Akashi chuckled, looking back at Kuroko to check things between him and Momoi before turning to his companion. "You're no fun to be with in a haunted house, Mizuki."

"Why, thank you," she answered, rolling her eyes at him. "What do you expect me to do?" They rounded a corner just in time to see a girl clinging tightly to a guy while screaming her lungs out. Mizuki pointed at them. "Want me to do that, perhaps?"

The redhead quirked an eyebrow and tightened his hold on her hand. "I think I'll pass."

"I'll never understand you," she replied simply as she calmly plucked a konjac that had fallen on her neck and threw it at another couple far ahead.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Akashi can only grimace at the sound. "Do you really have to do that?"

"Well, you said I'm no fun. I'll show you _fun_."

"Hmmm?"

"Come on," she said, already plucking a bunch of konjac hanging from the ceiling. "We're having target practice."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

From the shadows, Mayuzumi sighed as another couple exited the haunted house screaming about flying frogs or konjacs. For the last fifteen minutes, he had been following Akashi and Mizuki as they stalked the other customers and throwing well-aimed konjacs at them. Akashi had spared Momoi the fright, knowing that she'll probably assume that it was a frog. However, what they didn't expect to meet inside the haunted house was the AoKagaKise trio.

"Daiki, Taiga, Ryouta," Akashi greeted. "I never expected to see you here."

_Well, we didn't expect you either, _was the thought running across the trio's minds. They never thought of Akashi as someone interested in haunted houses, anyway. Then, they noticed the bunch of square-shaped objects in Mizuki and Akashi's hands.

"Oi, you didn't happen to have thrown one of those at me, did you?" Aomine asked, suspicious.

The two only looked at one another. "I told you, it was Aomine," Akashi said to Mizuki after a silent pause, totally ignoring Aomine's question.

"Hmmm, I thought it was Kagami."

"But the first one was definitely Kise."

"Aa."

The trio watched as the two debated on who screamed out next after Kise, and realization dawned on them that the two were the ones who had aimed konjacs on their faces. Before they could start complaining though, Momoi and Kuroko arrived, surprised at seeing the group.

It was also the time that Mayuzumi decided to make his appearance.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

They were talking about Mizuki and Akashi's prank on the other visitors of the haunted house when all of a sudden, clammy wet hands touched the backs of Aomine and Kagami's necks, making them freeze and shut their mouths. It didn't help that Kise was making a very scared expression as he looked at something behind them. Even Momoi's face was ashen. Kuroko, Mizuki, and Akashi were indifferent as usual.

Slowly, the two boys turned their heads to look at the thing that was holding them in place.

"Wha—"

A pale face, with red tears — blood — flowing down its cheeks, a pair of dead eyes staring right back at them, and a manic grin on its bloody lips, met their sight.

"...Boo."

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"GHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOST!"

Off to the side, Kuroko sighed. "To think that Aomine-kun will fall for the same trick twice..."

"Ahomine-kun!" Momoi said.

However, what they didn't count on was for Kagami to lose consciousness. With a thud, Seirin's ace fell to the floor.

"...Chihiro-senpai, I don't think that was a good thing to do," Mizuki said, eyeing the taller redhead on the floor, fast asleep.

The ghost — Mayuzumi — looked a little guilty. "Well, I never thought he'd be that scared of me."

"Hey! It's you again!" Aomine said, pointing an accusatory finger at the grayhaired male.

"Ah it's you again," Mayuzumi nonchalantly replied.

"Why, you —!"

"Aomine, behave." Akashi's words immediately shut the tanned boy. He turned to Mayuzumi. "I think you're enjoying yourself too much, Chihiro. Now," he pointed at Kagami, where Kuroko and Kise knelt beside the taller redhead, trying to wake him up to no avail, "what are we going to do about that?"

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

In the end, Aomine and Kise dragged Kagami's body out of the haunted house and since they can't just leave him alone somewhere, they decided to just drag him off to their next destination: Mibuchi Reo's class booth. However, when they passed by a vending machine, Mizuki had an idea.

"Waaa—!" Kagami woke up spluttering from the cold water that was unceremoniously poured on his face. The first thing he saw was the chartreusette's smug smirk as she looked at Akashi.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," she said, then took a sip from the now half-full can of Pocari.

"Ara, ara, Sei-chan?" Mibuchi had stuck out his head from the stall where he was handling the line of students who were registering for his class booth. Mibuchi's class had asked for an outdoor area given that their chosen activity was a competition. The tall male waved at Mizuki enthusiastically and would have hugged her already if only he was not tied down with his duties. "Are you all here to join our contest?"

"Aa."

The others looked at Akashi in surprise.

"What contest are you talking about, Akashi?"

"I didn't hear anything about this!"

Mizuki tugged at his arm. "What are you talking about?"

The redhead motioned to Mibuchi. "Explain."

Mibuchi's eyes brightened. "My class booth is a competition participated by couples. It consists of five challenges that you have to accomplish in one hour or less. There are five stations scattered all over the campus, and you have to get there with your feet tied together. Each time you accomplishes a challenge, you will be given an item as proof which you will show to the staff handling the next station."

"This is more or less like that stamp rally competition back in middle school... Yosh! Kise, let's do this!"

Mibuchi — and probably the rest of the people who heard Aomine's loud proclamation — blinked in surprise.

"Before anything else, what's the prize for this contest?"

"Ah, it would be a free pass to the newly-opened amusement park here in Kyoto. Free rides, free food, free everything! Perfect for dates!" Mibuchi gushed. "Now, who among you would like to join?"

Aomine, who had been the most enthusiastic of them all at first, visibly flattened. "...Never mind... What am I going to do in an amusement park anyway?"

"Say, is it that amusement park that was rumored to give a lot of freebies on the opening day?" Kise wondered. He remembered hearing about it from one of his fans who had asked him to accompany her to it. Unfortunately, Kise had already a person in mind to take to the park.

"Ah, I remember now! Tetsu-kun, it's the one I've been talking about earlier!"

"...I see," Kuroko scratched his cheek. "You said there will be limited edition basketball shoes among the prizes?"

"Uhmm," Momoi answered in confirmation. "Ne, Tetsu-kun, would you like to join?"

"If it's alright with you, Momoi-san," Kuroko said then bowed before her. "Please join the competition with me."

"O-O-Of course!" Momoi practically shouted, due to her excitement. Kuroko is asking her out! _Another chance to be with Tetsu-kun!_ She wondered then if her face already matches the color of her hair, or worse, that of Akashi's.

"Basketball shoes? Limited edition?" Aomine's ears perked up. What are the chances that those limited edition shoes are still not in his collection yet? He made up his mind. Grabbing Kise by the shoulder again, he yelled, "Kise, let's join!"

The blonde model stared at him in surprise. "A-Aominecchi, haven't you heard what Mibuchi-san had said? This contest," he gestured at the sign hanging on the tree, with lots of paper roses and lace, "—is for lovers."

"Che, who cares? I need those basketball shoes! Aren't you interested in those?"

Kise smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I already have two of those passes. My manager gave them to me last Sunday."

"Give me one!"

"B-but Aominecchi—!"

"What?"

"I can't give you mine!"

"But why?"

"Because —"

"I think Kise-kun is taking someone else to the park," Kuroko said, cutting him off.

"Kasamatsu-san, probably," Kagami carelessly added.

"Hey!" Kise protested, blushing a little now that his little secret was exposed.

It was at this point that Mizuki decided to clear her throat. Akashi, sensing her impatience at the bickering of their friends, spoke up.

"Are you guys joining or not?" He glanced at the line of students that was slowly growing longer. "Decide."

"Then, is Akashi-kun joining with Mizuki-san?" Kuroko asked.

The redhead nodded. "Yes, we are," he replied just as Mizuki said, "No, we're not."

Their heads turned to face each other, Mizuki with a mild glare and Akashi with a raised eyebrow as they began a staring contest with one another. Mizuki's defiance surprised them, knowing that Akashi hates disobedience most of all. Yet, for some reason, this girl was allowed to act as such.

"Akashi," she snarled as he merely looked back at her in mild amusement.

"Yes?"

"I said we're not joining that competition."

"I said that we will."

"But I don't want to."

A pause as Mizuki's glare intensified somewhat. Akashi smirked.

"How many pizzas in return?"

Immediately, her golden eyes sparkled with hidden joy and mischief. "...Make it one every lunch and we have a deal."

"Fine."

"Reo-nee, we're signing up for the competition," the chartreusette said with finality. "Please include Kuroko and Sa-chan as well."

Mibuchi's eyes were now shining with glee as he rushed to do just what Mizuki told him. Aomine, Kagami, and Kise had no choice but to stand and watch from the sidelines as the two teams — Akashi and Mizuki, and Kuroko and Momoi — joined the other contestants on the starting line. A little later, Midorima along with Takao stumbled upon the trio and Kise had persuaded Midorima to stay and watch — of course, with a little help from Takao. Murasakibara and Himuro arrived a few minutes after them, and since he was already tired from roaming around the wide campus of Rakuzan — in search of Murasakiba's snacks, no doubt — Himuro asked the purplehaired giant for a brief rest.

At the starting point, Akashi was kneeling beside Mizuki as he fastened the strap around their legs carefully. Around them, the other contestants were a bit apprehensive at seeing Rakuzan's Royal Couple joining in such an event. As of the audience, many were excited to see Akashi and Mizuki's interactions, especially for the last part of the competition.

"This reminds me of our Teiko days... Ne, Aominecchi?" Kise said, a smile on his face.

"Hmp." Aomine turned his head to the side as he grumbled, "Don't remind me. I didn't get to win that pair of basketball shoes signed by Lebron James... Tsk."

Kuroko and Momoi, having done this before, decided to use the same tactic they have used. Both of them knows for certain that Akashi will have nothing but absolute victory, thus they were aiming for either the second or third place. Still, they can still hope.

"Stay close," Akashi murmured as he casually wrapped an arm around Mizuki's shoulder. "We're using our outer leg first."

"Hai," Mizuki answered determinedly as she mirrored Akashi's actions. Inwardly, she consoled herself with the thought of pizzas awaiting her after this stupid competition. Both of them were crouched low, ready to spring ahead at the signal. With narrowed eyes, they watched as Mibuchi's hand slowly raised his hand.

"Ready..."

"Set..."

"GO!"

All the contestants rushed forward, trying to take the lead, but not surprisingly, Akashi and Mizuki were the ones in front, their steps perfectly in sync with one another. This three-legged race was nothing but child's play for them.

They reached the second station easily, and the staff gave them a piece of red glass for completing the first challenge. They were then led to a long table where they were seated across each other, with a bowl of steaming noodles between them.

It was an eating challenge.

"I don't eat pickled ginger," Akashi reasoned as he shoved a piece of said ingredient off to the side of the bowl while Mizuki only looked on in amusement, taking the ginger and eating it herself.

"You have odd likes and dislikes," she said, earning a smile from Akashi.

"So I have been told."

"We have to eat faster if we are to win this game, Akashi," she commented before stuffing her mouth with food. Akashi winced slightly at the slurping noise made by the chartreusette but also started to eat faster, especially now that several of their opponents had now reached the second station and already seated at the table with their own bowl of noodles.

With only a few swallows remaining in their bowl, Akashi made a perhaps once in a lifetime action. With slight hesitation, he took the bowl in his hands and slurped the remaining noodles and soup — surprising everyone (Mizuki included) with this bold move. Akashi was known for his refined and polite behavior in everything he does, and seeing him act as such caught everyone offguard.

When he set the bowl down, Mizuki was waiting with her handkerchief in hand. Ignoring his mischievous smirk, she gently wiped the corner of his lips as she silently murmured to herself, "Only you can pull that off while still looking good — Tsk."

Unfortunately, owing to Akashi's exceptional hearing, he can only smirk wider in comprehension. "Thank you."

"Whatever for?" she snapped.

"For complimenting my good looks."

Akashi felt oddly satisfied at the slight blush that colored the chartreusette's cheeks.

"—Shut up." She looked to the side, handing him a bottle of water which he took gratefully. After retying their legs together and getting their second piece, they made their way to the next station.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

The third station was a piece of cake to them — though the opposite can be said for the other players. Even Momoi and Kuroko had a bit of difficulty in completing the said task. Rakuzan's huge multipurpose hall had been turned into a maze of glass and mirrors, thus making the search for the exit a hard task.

Akashi and Mizuki would beg to differ.

"So, you're saying that I should trust your... nose... in this?" Akashi asked her with mild reluctance. He was used to leading, not following.

"Yes. And my nose says that we should turn to the right," and Mizuki started to walk away, navigating through the maze with the ease of a veteran.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Mizuki let out a breath as they reached the exit of the maze. The girl immediately grabbed one of the water bottles offered by one of the facilitators and drank half of it. Akashi took the water bottle from her hands and took a swig from it. They were sweating quite a bit due to the hot environment inside the maze since the facilitators of the said contest decided to turn off the air conditioners inside the mulitpurpose hall for the duration of the challenge. Placing it on the table, he asked her if she was ready to proceed to the next one.

"Hai" was her quiet reply and he bent down to tie their feet together.

The fourth game was a game that involves balance. The couple must succesfully ferry three eggs from one post to another without dropping it. The twist: The egg is to be placed between the couple's foreheads.

Akashi watched as a couple before them smashed the egg and ended up with sticky yellow yolk on their faces. Mizuki was doing the same as him.

"Too much and too little force will break the egg. The only difference is where," she said as another unsuccesful couple dropped the egg on the floor.

"We need to be careful."

"Yes."

"Ah, the Royal couple!" the guy in charge greeted them. "You already know this game, yes? Three eggs, forehead, no breaking the egg! Now here you go!"

With his free hand, Akashi carefully placed an egg between their foreheads, and motioned Mizuki to come closer. Faces set in concentration, they slowly made their way to the table at the other end of the line. Neither appreciated having sticky yolk on their faces.

The close proximity of their faces made it possible for them to feel one another's breathing. Seemingly calm on the outside, Akashi's heart was pounding a bit louder than it should be. As they walked sideways, Akashi found himself looking at Mizuki's eyes which were directed downward, at the ground. He observed her long eyelashes that framed her eyes, and the line of her finely-sculptured nose, down to her coral lips.

Her eyes flickered upward just then, and met his own mismatched ones. Akashi realized that her eyes were not pure gold, but rather, flecks of silver surrounded her iris. It was not long ago when he found out that he liked looking at her eyes, more specifically when she allowed her emotions to reflect through them. They were subtle, but he was quick to spot the minuscule changes in them. The way they light up a bit when she was at pleased or happy or simply at ease, the way they darken when she's angry or sad, the way they narrow when she's on her assassin mode, the way they deepen when she was thinking of something, and when they seem to zone out when she was under her mask. This seemed to enchant the redhead that unconsciously he had made it a habit of looking at her eyes everytime he talks with her.

Mizuki had felt him looking at her for a while now, and though it was not altogether an unpleasant feeling, it made her feel ... jumpy. She can't quite explain it herself, but she was certain of one thing. Of all the people she met, only Akashi made her feel this things that he calls "emotions". When Akashi had explained them to her and encouraged her to use them, she found out that they were not actually a bad thing to have, although they have this annoying tendency to cloud one's decisions. "Friends" are not a bad idea, either. Being with Akashi taught her a lot of things, and it seemed as if she was being introduced to a new world, like seeing it for the first time with new eyes. Again, it's not an unpleasnt thought, but she's uncertain of whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.

No words were exchanged between them, but they stared at each other's eyes as if searching for something in their depths. They proceeded with the challenge, breaking eye contact only when they are setting up or removing the egg between their foreheads.

"One more to go. The Royal Couple seems to be taking this too easy!" someone said.

"Royal Couple?" Aomine said out loud.

"Yes! They're Rakuzan's Royal Couple — Akashi-sama and Fujiwara-hime! Just look at them — aren't they perfect for each other?" A student from Rakuzan who was watching the contest beside Aomine explained.

"That Akashi is really unpredictable," he sighed.

There was a sharp intake of breath from Mizuki when the egg wobbled dangerously loose on their foreheads. Acting quickly, she jerked her face upwards and move closer to keep the egg from falling further. However, it seems that she had forgotten to factor Akashi in her equation as she felt the tips of their noses touch to her sudden movement. What's worse is that their lips are barely a couple centimeters apart.

But what can she possibly do? She cannot move away for doing so means goodbye to the egg, and that won't do. Their steps became slower, as both were intent to maintain that distance. A sudden slip of their feet could result to rather problematic results.

The crowd had squealed in response to the sudden closeness of their faces. It looked like they were kissing already. Akashi heard pounding in his ears, but he kept calm, looking at anything except for the luscious pink lips in front of him.

'I hate puberty.'

Mizuki, on the other hand, was wondering if Akashi was feeling ill again. The tips of his ears were uncharacteristically burning red.

"It was the heat," was his reply when she asked him about it later. She shrugged and let it be.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

The last station was a — surprise, surprise! — a kissing booth. Each one would pick a piece of paper and kiss their partner on the indicated body part. The twist: they'll be blindfolded. Again.

It was Akashi's turn first. His was easy — just a simple peck on the cheek. He did it without so much fuss and waited for Mizuki to do hers and be done with this stupid contest. When Mizuki didn't made a move, he thought of calling her when she suddenly grabbed his shoulder and kissed him.

On the lips.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**


	15. Chapter 15

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

*** XV. I'm Glad You Liked It ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Their blindfolds were taken away, and they faced the crowd as the overjoyed Mibuchi pronounced them as the ultimate winners of the Ultimate Love Challenge. Their prize was a couple free ride-all-you-can pass to the aforementioned amusement park and a especially-prepared date for them at Rakuzan's ornamental garden.

They allowed themselves to be led to the venue. It was more of a greenhouse, actually, with many rare, exotic, and beautiful flowers and ornamental plants. At the center of the greenhouse, amidst the rosebushes, was a table set for two, with tea and some cake. A slow melody played in the background, creating a romantic atmosphere.

Akashi, being the gentleman he is, escorted Mizuki to the table and pulled out her seat for her. He sat across her, gazing at her impassive face.

_'Someone's being doubly quiet today,'_ he said to himself as he poured tea for both of them.

"Here's your tea, Mizuki." He pushed the cup towards her gently.

"Thanks."

Akashi's eyebrow quirked in amusement._ 'It can't be... but is she feeling awkward about what happened earlier?'_

He took a sip from his cup. She seemed to be in deep thought. "Is there something wrong?"

Gold eyes flitted up to meet his gaze, only to look somewhere else. "Nothing."

_It was only a kiss_, she reasoned inwardly_, a kiss that was required for a game, so no need to dwell on it much. It's just a freaking kiss for a freaking game. Absolutely meaningless and absolutely harmless._

They ate in silence, and after a while, Akashi had an idea. "Do you know how to dance?"

"Of course. Haven't you seen me dance during that last party we went to?"

"Not really. I was unable to have a dance with you that time because you decided to 'break up with me.'" His tone almost sounded disappointed and sulking. "Then," Akashi stood up and stood beside her and gave a graceful bow, extending a hand for her to take. "Can I have a dance with milady here?"

"Akashi —" she started but Akashi cut her off by taking her hand in his and pulling her out of her seat and into his arms. Positioning their arms in the right places, he said with a smirk.

"Humor me this once, Mizuki," and led her to their dance to the slow music around them.

"Did you enjoy today?" he softly asked in her ear as they swayed to the melody.

"Um," she answered quietly, but Akashi heard her. Suddenly, she seemed to take great interest in Akashi's sleeve as she stared at it intently.

"Is there something that's bothering you?" he asked. When she didn't reply, he added, "Is it about the kiss earlier?"

She glared at him then, a light blush on her cheeks that Akashi finds absolutely adorable. "It's not," she huffed, making Akashi chuckle at her obvious denial.

"Really?" he brought his face close to hers, and Mizuki backed away. "I think you're lying."

"Tsk." _Two can play this game_, she thought, and surprised Akashi as the redhead's eyes widened when she risked having their distance to mere inches. "And you're saying you're not?"

"I didn't say that." Then Akashi smirked, poking her cheek with a finger. "You were blushing though."

"I'm not!" She moved away from him, her face slowly turning a nice shade of red.

"Could have fooled me," he murmured as he pulled her back to him. Mizuki only clicked her tongue in annoyance as she managed to calm herself down.

Her thoughts were floating around the foreign environment and the foreign situations that she was forced to face with her time with the Akashi heir. She was reminded why she hated bodyguard missions — it carries the risk of getting attached to your charge. The reason why she avoided them as much as she could.

And that was the last thing Mizuki would want to happen to her and Akashi.

_The contract was one year. When this is all over, I'll never see him again._ That was her rule. When a mission ends, Mizuki is sure to cut all ties with everything and everyone she had gotten attached to completely. _There's no looking back — only forward._

Mizuki hates bonds. After everything that had happened to her in the past, Mizuki had grown afraid of having relationships with others. Aside from Ryuunosuke, the only ones that she can handle being close to her is Kazehaya, Kurei, and Yasha. The first being her foster father ever since she started living in the Residence, and the last three being her foster brothers in a way. After Tsubasa's death, they are the only ones that she dared to let inside her frozen heart. Given their skills, she can trust them not to die on her anytime soon, thus she was able to accept their company, more or less. Anything that's in immediate danger of dying or disappearing soon, Mizuki had tended to ignore outright. For the young assassin, something that's quick to disappear is not worth the effort in the first place. Sentimentality is not just her style. What remains, remains, What vanishes, vanishes. That's how life goes for the chartreusette.

Then here comes Akashi.

He was holding her close, his right hand on her shoulder, his left holding hers. They were close enough for them to smell each other's perfume. They were dancing slowly, moving in unhurried circles, their feet picking up naturally to the rhythm of the music.

Mizuki, for the life of her, cannot fully understand the enigma that was Akashi Seijuurou. He is, by far, the weirdest person she had ever met, barring her fellow operatives. To think that he will readily accept and even make the acquaintance of a cold-blooded killer was far beyond her comprehension.

_I mean, he was supposed to be disgusted by me, right? Hate me, even?_

"You're a weird one," she said to him, looking up, just as he looked back to her again, "Do you know that?"

He raised an eyebrow slowly at her. "So I've been told countless times before."

They swayed across the dance floor for a while, and Akashi began to tune out the music around them, focusing on Mizuki's hold on him, and his on hers. He felt like she was a delicate object in his arms, despite knowing what she was capable of doing. Mizuki was strong, independent, skilled, but seeing her in such clothes, doing normal activities that a girl her age was supposed to be doing, Akashi cannot help but think that she is someone that is hiding their fragility behind a thick protective wall.

Instinctively he pulled her close to him, holding her against his chest. She let out a quiet exhalation of surprise, but she didn't pull away when he held her there.

He doesn't know why, but he felt at ease with the chartreusette. With her, he doesn't feel the need to prove anything. With her, he doesn't feel the need to act superior and such. There are no pressures, no expectations. Just plain Seijuurou. And that's what he liked most of all during the times they spent together.

"Akashi?" she asked quietly as his grip on her tightened slightly.

"Hmm?" He spun them around in a graceful circle.

"You know," she replied softly with a hint of bitterness, "You're just wasting your time."

"I thought I made it clear the last time we talked about this," Akashi said slowly, reaching up and tilting her head to look at him, "I expressed my desire to know you better, and you agreed to it."

"You do know that you only have one year to do that."

He touched his forehead to hers affectionately, "Then I will make that one year count."

She said nothing to that, and he could see her golden eyes flickering with different emotions-she was struggling for words she did not have, because there was nothing to say, nothing she could say.

One year. Akashi wondered then if there was somehow a way to slow down time itself.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Mizuki was, once again, pissed. She stared at the ceiling in anger. She reflected on today's events and kicked herself in her head, annoyed. Unconsciously, her fingers ghosted over her lips that had been kissing Akashi's hours earlier. At the remembrance, her eyes shot wide open in alarm and her cheeks turned red.

_You're not supposed to dwell on that — especially not that!_ she mentally screamed.

She shifted in her bed, folding her pillow in half, and turned to her side. She stared at the far wall, wishing that her mind was as blank as it is. She needed to calm down. This was very unusual for her to get so easily flustered. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

She wasn't going to admit her feelings. What feelings? She shook her head. So what if her heart pounded when Akashi looked at her? And so what if she found herself feeling almost happy most of the time he was around? That didn't mean anything. She huffed. It meant nothing.

She turned on her other side and adjusted her pillow again. Now she was staring out her balcony window at the stars.

Okay. So what if it did mean something? Mizuki narrowed her eyes. Emotions were useless. Bonds were difficult. And Mizuki was too tired of having people dying before her. It's the kind of pain that she'd rather not go through again. Thus she closed herself from the rest of the world to protect herself from hurting even more.

That's why she's pushing everyone away, including Akashi. Well, that was the plan, originally, but it seems that the red emperor is slowly growing on her.

And deep inside her, that very fact is scaring Mizuki more than anything had ever scared her before.

Because what Mizuki doesn't want to admit is that she's afraid of losing him.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Akashi was sitting up in bed, a smirk on his face as he listened patiently to Mibuchi who was happily talking on the other end of the line. His one knee was bent, where his arm was resting, a photograph dangling from his fingers. The taller male had sneakily handed it to him before running away and out of sight just before they all went home. When Mizuki had asked him about it, he promptly shoved it in his pockets and told her that it was nothing. She didn't ask any more questions after that.

"Sei-chan! So how was it?" Mibuchi's cheery voice said.

"How was what, Reo?" he muttered, looking at the photograph with scrutinizing eyes.

"The photo! What do you think? I'm a genius, right?"

Akashi raised an eyebrow. "It was nice, though it's hardly a masterpiece. It's not focused enough. You didn't —"

He heard Mibuchi sighed. "Sei-chan, you don't have to go technical on me, you know. I was asking about the subjects of the photo, not about my photography skills."

Akashi chuckled lightly. "I know that, Reo. I just decided to play around with you a bit."

"Sei-chan..."

"What do you want to hear, then?" Akashi asked, flipping the photo in his fingers. Mibuchi had always been one of the perceptive individuals Akashi had ever known, and by now, the shooting guard would have guessed that something was going on between him and Mizuki. He's not sure about her, because she was inexperienced with emotions after all, but sometimes, Akashi feels that she is starting to get acquainted with them once more.

"Sei-chan, do you love Mi-chan?"

To say that Mibuchi's direct question surprised Akashi was an understatement. Love? Is this what he is feeling towards the chartreusette, love? Does he love her then? It's only been months, and he barely knows anything about her. Is it possible to love a person that quickly?

"No, I don't, Reo. Why do you ask?"

Mibuchi was silent for a while. _Maybe not now, not yet. But I get the feeling that sometime soon, you will._ He smiled. "N-nothing at all, Sei-chan! It's just that the two of you look so adorable together! That's it — I'm officially shipping the two of you!"

"You didn't just call me adorable, Reo. Double training for you next week."

"Wh-what?! Sei-chan!"

"As for 'shipping' the two of us, aren't you a bit late? The whole of Rakuzan has been doing so for quite a while now," Akashi said wryly, not totally amused at being labeled the Royal Couple along with Mizuki.

"Well..."

Looking again at the picture, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Let's just wait and see." Mibuchi gasped, thrilled at the statement, when Akashi cut him off. "By the way, Reo, thank you for this."

"Anything for you, Sei-chan!"

"You still have double training next week though."

He hung up after that, not giving Mibuchi the chance to protest. Mibuchi had done him a favor by giving this to him. After all, three seconds was not a long time to be able to get a clear shot of the incident.

He smirked. _We look good together though, _he thought as he recalled the sensation of her lips pressed against his. Okay, so maybe he do loves the female assassin just a bit.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Report."

"The school fair went relatively well, and Fujiwara had class booth duties before having lunch with Akashi and his friends. His middle school team was there as well. After that, Akashi and Fujiwara strolled along the school grounds, sampling some of the booths on their way. Their last one was a love booth of some kind, where in the end, Fujiwara kissed Akashi."

Ryuunosuke's eyes, which were closed as he listened to the man before him, opened slightly, although he was more surprised than he let on.

"Kissed?" he asked, prompting the man to elaborate.

"It seems to be a part of the game they were in. They were blindfolded, and Akashi kissed her first on the cheek before she kissed him back."

"On the cheek as well?" Kazehaya asked from behind Ryuunosuke.

"Uh, no."

The elite bodyguard blinked. _It can't be..._

The man shook his head. "Fujiwara kissed him on the lips."

Ryuunosuke was silent as he pondered over that small fact for a while. "Anything significant that happened after that?"

"The two had an afternoon tea in one of the gardens. They were talking about something as they danced. They seem to be quite close based on their distance from one another. Other than that, it was relatively normal up until they went home."

"Is that all?"

The man nodded. "Hai, Ryuunosuke-san."

Ryuunosuke nodded thoughtfully. "Good work, Akihito. You're dismissed."

When the young man excused himself from the room, Ryuunosuke stood up from the desk and went to stood by the glass windows of his second floor study. Kazehaya followed close behind.

"I think I've found the solution to our problem with Mizuki. It's not certain, but it's an opportunity nonetheless."

Kazehaya cocked his head to the side in curiousity. They still haven't given up trying to make Mizuki leave the assassin lifestyle and live life as a normal teenage girl. "And that would be?"

In the darkening shadows, the man smiled conspiratorily. "

Akashi Seijuurou."


	16. Chapter 16

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

*** XVI. More Than I Could Count On My Fingers ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Now answer me: who sent you after Akashi?"

"I'm not telling you, bitch!" The man replied angrily. He strained against the ropes that confined him to the metal chair. When his efforts proved futile, he tried to spit on Mizuki's face which of course, she dodged easily.

Behind her, Akashi watched as she carried out her interrogation. They were in one of the rooms in the dark basement of the Akashi manor, where they kept their prisoner. Earlier that day, Mizuki had caught this man spotting Akashi from one of the rooftops of Rakuzan's buildings. She had subdued him before he can cause any real damage, and had smuggled him from the school to the Akashi manor's basement. She had, of course, dissuaded Akashi from accompanying her to the basement, but the redhead wanted to watch her interrogate the man, and of course, she cannot refuse.

"It can get a bit..." She trailed off, and without another word, she opened the door to their prisoner's room.

A stream of curses met them as the prisoner saw them enter. He was silenced, however, when a knife whizzed past his face and stuck on the wall behind him. A thin red line blossomed on his cheek moments later. Akashi was reminded of his greeting to Kagami Taiga back in Winter Cup.

"Quite a talker, aren't you?" Mizuki began. Slowly, she twirled another knife as she approached him. Using the flat side of her knife, she lifted the man's chin and forced him to look up at her.

He met her gaze and glared at her defiantly. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"What do I want?" Mizuki echoed. Her tone was almost teasing. This was a side of Mizuki that was unknown to the redhead until now. "Just a few answers."

"Ha!" The man threw his head back and laughed, then glared at her again. "Get these ropes off me and I'll gladly tell you everything you want to know."

Mizuki's eyebrow raised in amusement. "You won't be needing your arms and legs to answer, will you?" She shifted the knife in her hand. This time, the sharp edge hovered dangerously close to his neck. "And you're exactly not in the position to make demands either."

"Then you won't get anything from me!" He yelled.

"You think so?" she pulled the knife back swiftly. Both the prisoner and Akashi was surprised at her sudden move. However, her hand stopped just as the tip of the knife was a few millimeters away from his chest.

Mizuki stepped back coolly and pocketed her knife. "You won't die that easily." She turned her back to him and that's when he started cursing her and swearing that she will never get him to speak about his secrets. A faint smirk appeared on Mizuki's lips as she pulled out something from the bag she carried with her.

"We'll see about that," she said.

Akashi looked on, arms crossed in front of him. Mizuki on sadist mode is a bit unnerving, he thought. Very interesting to watch, though.

He heard Mizuki talking to the man again. "Now now, do you feel like taking a dive in the sea?" And without waiting for an answer, she slipped a plastic bag over the man's head and secured it with a rubber band round his neck. Akashi watched as the man struggled to breath but failed miserably when the plastic clung to his face as he inhaled.

Mizuki counted 30 seconds before removing the bag. The man was gasping heavily.

"Not a very pleasant experience, isn't it?" Mizuki said. "Now, answer me: Who sent you after Akashi?"

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"I admire your loyalty," Mizuki said as the man gasped for his breath. He was a tough nut to crack, and even if she sent him under several times — each one longer than the last — he still refused to speak. Lack of sleep made Mizuki impatient, and since Akashi was watching, she decided to skip the bloody torture methods — pulling off his nails, branding him with a burning hot iron, peeling off his skin — and surely, the heir wouldn't appreciate the bloodstains on the floor. Therefore, she had no choice but to use her last torture method — the most effective one and the most troublesome.

From a brown folder, Mizuki produced several pictures of a woman carrying a baby in her arms. The man froze when she showed it to him.

"Tamaguchi Kano, isn't it?" she dangled the picture between her fingers. Venom laced her next words. "Such a pretty baby, isn't she?"

The man, now known as Tamaguchi, paled considerably. For the first time during their whole interrogation process, fear showed on his face, Akashi noted.

Now that she said it, it was the first time that Mizuki called their prisoner by name, he thought. Even more, how did she managed to identify their prisoner and get ahold of his family in a span of 12 hours?

"Such poor innocent souls. What a price to pay for your silence." She clicked her tongue disappointedly.

"I-I'll speak! I'll t-tell you everyth-thing you w-want — just don't harm them!" he pleaded all of a sudden.

A cruel sneer appeared on the chartreusette's face. Mizuki stared at the picture the way a predator watches its prey. She voiced out her thoughts. "Maybe I'll bring them here? They might make my job easier."

"No! Don't get them involved! They haven't done anything to you and the Akashi's! They are —"

"But you have. And they're related to you."

If Tamaguchi was capable of movement, he would've knelt at and kissed Mizuki's feet. Instead, he begged her, as words are the only things he can use as of the moment.

"Please, I beg you! Don't touch my precious Keiko!"

Mizuki raised one fine green eyebrow at the man. "How can I be sure that you're telling me the truth?"

"I won't lie! For my wife and daughter's sake, I'll tell you the truth!"

"I'll hold you to your word. One lie, no matter how small," she tore one of the photos in half, neatly separating the head of Tamaguchi's wife from her neck. Akashi saw Tamaguchi gulp nervously as his eyes followed the torn photo as it fell to the floor. "Now. Talk."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Mizuki delivered a sharp blow at the back of Tamaguchi's head, rendering him unconscious. He'd given her all she need to know behind the attack and it was but a few steps on her part to solve them.

"What are you going to do to him after this?" Akashi spoke for the first time ever since they entered the room.

"I'll send him back to his family. As soon as his employers hear that he had ratted them out, they'll kill him for sure." Mizuki cleaned up her torture devices as Akashi looked at the sleeping Tamaguchi. "But I can kill him right now if you want."

"Send him back. There's no need for you to dirty your hands with his blood."

Mizuki stared at him for a while, then shrugged nonchalantly. "I've killed many people before him — more than I coule count on my fingers. One more person won't make a difference." She zipped up her bag. "Let's go upstairs for now. I'm disposing of him tonight."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Mizuki was gone for the rest of the week as she dealt with Tamaguchi's employers, unable to spend the rest of the school festival with Akashi, thus leaving him in a sour mood. She'd taken Tamaguchi with her, and true to her word, he and his whole family died that very night. It bothered Akashi a little when he learned of his family's fate, and how Mizuki carried it out knowing full well that the woman and her child will be killed too. Her eyes were cold and deadset, and it chilled him to look at it. It was the eyes of a veteran murderer — one used to the world of blood and death.

_Life and death stopped mattering to me a long time ago. To live is to die eventually. I'm just speeding the process._

That was her answer when he asked her about it while she was packing for her departure that night.

Aside from the knife wound on her side, Mizuki's injuries were rather minor, a few scrapes and bruises here and there, but that didn't stop Akashi from fussing over her. The day she returned, the redhead was already waiting in her room, accompanied by the family doctor. Grudgingly, she allowed herself to be patched up and half-listened as the doctor told her to rest and not strain herself unnecessarily. When the doctor was gone, Akashi ordered her to sleep, patted her head, and left.

Despite Akashi's refusal, Mizuki went with him to school the next day — Monday. She wore bandages under her uniform and it was Akashi who informed their PE teacher that she cannot join the class in their volleyball game. A very irritated Mizuki sat on the sidelines as she watched her classmates play against one another, her mood only known to a certain redhead as she kept her passive mask.

"Still in a bad mood?" Akashi asked her in a teasing tone as they walked together to the clubroom for lunch. Beside him, the chartreusette huffed. Akashi chuckled silently. This is one of the rare times that the usually pokerfaced girl would be acting out of character, and Akashi relishes it while it lasts.

"There's nothing funny, Akashi." Mizuki unconsciously pouted slightly. She had her arms crossed in front of her, head tilted to the side away from him. From what Akashi had learned, Mizuki was fond of volleyball — evident from her vicious spikes, several of which Akashi was on the receiving end. It left his hand red and sore for an hour.

"Next Monday, we're having an interclass tournament. That's why you must rest so that you will be completely healed by then."

The moment they entered the door, three people chorused in delight at seeing the familiar color of lime along with Akashi's own crimson.

"Ya." Mizuki replied blandly, obviously unaffected by their enthusiasm. The three surrounded her, and Mibuchi pounced on her, set on doing his usual way of greeting her. Akashi was putting his shoes on the rack when he saw them.

"Mibuchi, don't—!"

Unfortunately, Akashi's warning was a second too late. Their feminine-looking shooter went and hugged Mizuki, his arms tight around her slim waist, only to let go in confusion when she struggled against him a moment later.

Even more when she clutched her left side that started to bleed red through her shirt.

"Mi-mi-chan!"

Akashi suddenly appeared beside him and barked his orders, "Get her to the couch! Kotaro, the first-aid kit!" Mibuchi did as he was ordered. He looked guilty as he watched Akashi fuss in the most uncharacteristic manner over the bleeding chartreusette.

"Where did you get that wound, Mi-chan?" he asked in a frightened voice.

"I was in an accident last week." She said, explaining about her absence during the school festival. She didn't explain further, although Mayuzumi frowned at the word 'accident'.

The girl was unsurprisingly calm through it all. She was now sitting up as they waited for Kotaro to return with the additional bandages.

"Lift your shirt." Akashi ordered. Beside him, the other males suddenly blushed.

"Ah, Sei-chan~ we can just let the nurse handle that —" Mibuchi began, then shut his mouth when the girl complied without a second thought. Her fingers unbuttoned the lower part of her blouse, revealing her slim waist wrapped in bandages now soaked with blood. She pulled them up halfway, but her wound was further up, just under the side of her breast, and they could see a bit of her white brassiere as Akashi unwrapped her old bandages to replace them with new ones. It doesn't help that the two was in a rather suggestive position too.

Their captain was standing in front of the chartreusette who had her arms crossed in front of her, holding the ends of her shirt in place. Akashi was bent forward, arms around her as he removed her bandages, face close to her ear. He was so close that she can feel his breath.

Despite Akashi's calm exterior, the rest of them could swear that his ears were slightly pink. Their close proximity reminded him of the kiss, even though a bitter part of him reminds him that it was all for the sake of that stupid contest.

_This is not really the time to be thinking about that._

The redhead stepped back as he handed Mayuzumi the bloodied ones and extended his other hand for the alcohol and cotton. Mibuchi gasped, while the others stared in shock and horror. There, in stark contrast to her pale skin, was a jagged cut three inches long, and it must've been deep, judging from the gaping wound, fresh red blood oozing from the reopened injury.

"What happened?" Mayuzumi asked in a worried tone.

"Accident," Mizuki replied, her tone obviously stating that she'd rather not talk about it. The phantom did not pry any further, but his brows were furrowed in worry and doubt.

What kind of 'accident' would give you a wound like that?

Akashi sighed. Taking a seat beside her, he gently wiped the blood from the wound, as if he was treating a piece of fragile glass. He noticed that she was biting her lip quite forcefully.

"Your lip will be the next to bleed if you keep biting it," he said. "Is it painful?"

He almost laughed when she averted her gaze from him and stared at a spot on the floor. "It's not," but from the way her voice came out strained, it was evident that it is. He reached for the bottle of alcohol, and that's when she visibly flinched. His hand froze. Oh right, she is —

_"Mizuki, we need to clean your wound," Akashi said as Mizuki glared at the doctor who was holding a ball of cotton soaked in alcohol. This was during the aftermath of the party._

_"It's not necessary," she said, eyes still on the poor doctor. A hand unconsciously came up and covered her wound as if to protect it from the man._

_And then it hit Akashi. Is she —? Ridiculous. "Mizuki," he began carefully, "are you, by any chance, afraid of alcohol?"_

_Her eyes widened slightly. Oh, so I'm right on the mark, after all, Akashi thought. She glared at him. _

_"I'm not afraid of it. I just don't like it." Then to the poor doctor again, "Get that thing away from me."_

_The man flinched at her tone. "But, miss —" _

_"It's alright, Kato-san. Do what she says. Use another disinfectant, then." Akashi ordered. As the man rummaged in his bag, he saw her shoulders relaxed._

_"You should have told me earlier," he said to her once the doctor left. She did not answer, though, but hissed like a cat when it was angry. Akashi chuckled. He patted her head, calming her down. "Sleep now. Good night, Mizuki," and he stood up, turning off the lights on his way out._

— yes, you got it right.

Fujiwara Mizuki, elite assassin, is afraid of alcohol.

"Kotaro, hand me the iodine solution."

"Hai!" As he handed their captain the green bottle, he asked, "Why not the alcohol, Akashi?"

"Mizuki is af —"

The girl cut him off. "I don't like alcohol, Hayama-senpai."

"Aa."

The redhead said nothing, though he eyed Mizuki before resuming his doctoring. After applying iodine on it, he patched it up with new layer of gauze before resuming his earlier position to wrap the new bandages around her waist. Finished with his work, Mizuki let go of her shirt and stood up like nothing just happened.

Akashi eyed her bloodstained shirt and then went to his locker cabinet and pulled out a spare white shirt. "Change into this," and nodded to the other guys to follow him. "We'll wait for you outside."

"How did you know about her wound, Akashi?" Hayama asked as they stood by the door. Mayuzumi volunteered to borrow a spare uniform blouse from the clinic.

"She told me earlier in class."

"Sei-chan, I'm sorry. I didn't hear your warning in time..."

"It's not your fault, Reo. If you want to apologize, apologize to her, not to me."

The door opened, and Mizuki peered at them. "I'm done." As they entered, she did a quick head count. "Where's Chihiro-senpai?"

Now that he noticed it, Mizuki had been calling their phantom by his first name. Akashi is still figuring out why is that but what he perfectly knows as of this moment is that he wants her to do the same to him.

"He went to get you an extra uniform from the clinic," Hayama answered.

A few minutes later, Mayuzumi returned and handed Mizuki the piece of clothing.

"Change into it before we leave." Akashi said to her, and they gathered around the low table. Their seating arrangement was Akashi at the head, opposite Nebuya. Mizuki and Mayuzumi sat at Akashi's right, and Mibuchi and Hayama on the other.

"Itadakimasu!"

As far as the regulars of Rakuzan's basketball club was concerned, lunch was never a boring event. Everyone places their bentos at the center and everyone was free to help themselves. Thus, they would usually prepare a larger bento everyday, and boast about the food they prepared. Obviously, there would be quite a racket at the beginning of the meal.

"Sei-chan, look, I got some tofu for you!"

"Chibi, not pizza again!"

"Oi, Gorilla, don't eat all the food by yourself!"

"Mizuki-chan, pizza is not really healthy."

"I know that, Chihiro-senpai. And Kyojin, hands off."

And Akashi, being the only sensible being left, would sigh and tell them to behave with a sickeningly sweet smile on his face fit to scare the devil himself. "I would appreciate it if you were to enjoy the food calmly."

"H-hai, Captain."

Except Mizuki, of course. Her mouth is full of pepperoni pizza to bother answering.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Mi-chan, I'm sorry," Mibuchi said as they exited the clubroom on their way back to class. The ravenhead was still beating himself over it. Her injury was a serious one and he just had to reopen it.

"Reo-nii, it's not like you knew about it firsthand."

"But still —"

Mizuki faced him, expressionless as ever. "Treat me to pizza then — I want Hawaiian for lunch tomorrow" was her decree. Hopefully, asking for any form of retribution from her upperclassman would be enough to finally free him from guilt. It did, though, fortunately so, as Mibuchi beamed at her, nodding vigorously, promising to get her one with extra toppings.

Much better.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**


	17. Chapter 17

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

*** XVII. It Might Be Better Not To Wish For Such A Thing ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

It was a week after her return from her succesful mission. For some reason, Ryuunosuke was asking for her presence in the Residence on a Saturday afternoon, to which she obliged. So here she was in the front garden, killing time until the man decided to summon her.

"Mizuki."

The chartreusette, who was trying to make the butterflies to rest on her outstretched arm, froze in her spot.

"Ryuunosuke-san wants to talk to you."

Slowly, she turned, dropping her arm to her side, and met Kazehaya's scrutinizing gaze with a neutral expression. There was a period of silence before Mizuki gave him a slight nod, and, after uttering a short greeting that he found barely audible, she said nothing further. He walked ahead of her as he led her to the back of the house, where Ryuunosuke was waiting for the two of them in the pavillion in the middle of the lake. Kazehaya did not look back and was quiet for the rest of their short walk. Mizuki perfectly knew why he was in no mood for small talk. When she arrived at the Residence last Friday night looking like she had just went through Hell and back, Kazehaya was the one who opened the gates and, upon seeing her condition, had wasted no time in carrying her to the Residence's infirmary. Kazehaya lectured her as he went about her injuries, which were a few scrapes, a knife wound in her side, and maybe a light concussion (according to Kazehaya's diagnosis).

_"Do you have a death wish?" he glowered at her as he finished tending to her knife wound. Mizuki nonchalantly lowered her arms as Kazehaya moved to the gash on her shoulder. "You should know better than to go to an enemy's stronghold all by yourself!"_

_"But I'm still here right?" She hissed in pain when intentionally pressed harder on her wound. "Very much alive, as you can see." _

_Kazehaya squirted alcohol on her open wound. _

_"Kuso!" Mizuki jerked her shoulder away from the pokerfaced man and gritted her teeth. She shot him a murderous glare. "Are you planning to kill me?"_

_"Oh please, Mizuki, you survived far worse than that. A little sprinkling of alcohol is not lethal for the likes of you."_

_She hopped off the bed that she was sitting on and made for the door. "I'm leaving."_

_Her hand was about to reach for the doorknob when Kazehaya grabbed her wrist and turned her around, trapping her against the door. _

_"Mizuki, are you planning to kill yourself?" he mutttered angrily through gritted teeth. _

_"If anything, it's Death who's looking for me, not the other way around," she shot back. "Now let me go."_

_"No, not until I finished tending to your injuries." He dragged her back to the bed and forced her to sit down. The pair remained silent until Kazehaya told her that she was good to go._

As she looked at the silent Kazehaya's back, Mizuki could imagine the quiet anger he was feeling.

When they reached the bridge, he stood aside to let her go first to the pavillion. Ryuunosuke greeted the two of them and invited them to take a seat.

Her foster father waved Mizuki over to him. He laid a gentle hand on her head as he silently observed her. She saw his eyes narrow upon seeing the bandages around her shoulder and her head. He sighed and let her go back to her seat. Mizuki finds Ryuunosuke's actions as unusual.

The trio remained silent for a time. Mizuki rested her chin in her hand, staring into space, waiting for someone to break the silence.

"How are you, Mizuki?" Ryuunosuke asked softly.

"I'm fine," Mizuki answered.

"How are things going with your current mission?"

"They are going well."

For a time, however, the older man maintained his silence. Mizuki immediately sensed that he had something he needed to talk to her about, but he was hesitating whether or not to do so. She glanced at the envelope lying innocently on the table, then to Kazehaya. Then, as if resigning herself to the inevitable, she finally focused her gaze directly on Ryuunosuke. Her lips were clenched in a straight line, the ends of which she had deliberately turned up.

"This is about the school fair, isn't it." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, it is."

"What of it."

Ryuunosuke frowned slightly at Mizuki's way of speaking. "You and Seijuurou seems to be getting along nicely."

Mizuki pursed her lips, searching for something she could say, but the words did not come to her immediately. "...It's only for the mission. I... Since we are always together — I decided that doing my job as his bodyguard under the guise of a high school student is much more effective if we are on... peaceful terms."

"Yes, that is true," Ryuunosuke said, nodding as if to verify the accuracy of his understanding.

Mizuki glanced at the envelope on the table for no particular reason. Ryuunosuke followed her gaze.

"These are photographs of you and Seijuurou during the school fair," he said by way of explanation, looking at Mizuki. "You looked like you were having fun. It was rather unfortunate that you were only able to attend the first day."

He opened the envelope and laid out the photos on the table. There was a slight smile on his face as he looked at the Mizuki in the photos. Never had he seen the chartreusette so alive, so happy, and so carefree for a long time. Mizuki, on the other hand, twitched in annoyance at seeing them.

"I don't see the need for such things," she said through gritted teeth. She was looking at a picture of Akashi who was feeding her a piece of that _wakame _back in one of the stations.

Ryuunosuke continued as if he did not hear her comment. "That assassin has a rotten sense of timing."

"Is this what you want to talk about? If that is so, then I'm leaving," Mizuki huffed.

"That eager to get back to Seijuurou's side?"

Mizuki offered no reply. At her silence, Ryuunosuke turned serious.

"Mizuki."

"—Hai."

The man looked her straight in the eyes, frozen gray meeting burning gold.

"Ever since Kazehaya brought you here when you were but a mere child, I have treated you as a daughter, as one of my own flesh and blood. That's why I want you to be honest with me." A knowing look was Ryuunosuke sent a chill down Mizuki's spine. "What is Akashi Seijuurou to you?"

Mizuki blinked, once, twice, then gave a nervous little shake of the head, as if she were chasing away an invisible fly. She echoed the question slowly, as if trying to decipher a secret message. "...What is Akashi...Seijuurou...to...me..?"

Ryuunosuke nodded. "Yes, what is Akashi Seijuurou. To you." He glanced toward the pictures as he spoke. Then he turned back toward Mizuki. "Is he someone...special?"

Special? Mizuki's voice was flat. "No, he's not." She stood up from her seat. "Now, if you please excuse me."

As she walked away, Ryuunosuke and Kazehaya exchanged knowing looks. What Mizuki meant was but the exact opposite of her words.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Kurei was waiting for her at the front gate. Five o'clock had come, but the sun was still high in the sky, its intensity undiminished. Together, they walked to where he had parked his silver Porsche. She still had to accompany Akashi to one of those social parties held by the daughter of another rich businessman. He opened the car door for her before going to the driver's side. They rode in silence for a short while, until Kurei decided to break the monotony.

"I presume you don't wish to talk about it?" he asked. She had been zoning out, she realized, and had been for the last few minutes. She hadn't even noticed.

She groaned silently, feeling her head ache at the reminder of her conversation with Ryuunosuke. "I'm very tired," she said, closing her eyes.

"Then I'll put on some music." The sound of classical music filled the car, and Mizuki stifled a little groan.

_The last thing I need was another reminder of that day. _

Her hand shot out and flicked the switch, turning off the music, to Kurei's surprise. She sank back in her seat tiredly, and got lost in the sea of unwanted memories.

She remembered their dance in their school's garden, how close they were to one another that time. No matter how hard she tried, Mizuki can't help but lose herself in the sound of his voice. She tried to forget who she was with, except that Akashi wasn't easily ignored. Without speaking he still filled her senses—the subtlety of his very expensive cologne teased at her, the gentle sounds of his breathing serenaded her.

_It was my own damned fault,_ Mizuki thought, not seeing the weird look that Kurei had been giving her. The man had never seen her this openly frustrated and annoyed with something, and the fact worried him a little. Mizuki fisted her hands, her knuckles turning white. _I shouldn't have accepted that rescue mission in the first place. Then I wouldn't have to meet that Akashi._

_Maybe taking that vacation didn't sound so bad right now._

A soft chuckle interrupted her thoughts. Opening her eyes just a crack, she took a surreptitious look at Kurei. His attention was focused on the narrow road ahead of them, his hands draped loosely, confidently on the small steering wheel as he sped through the countryside.

"So, got something to tell me?" he asked, not turning. Not that she didn't expect it — Kurei was one of those people who can see things without having to look at it directly.

_Just like Akashi. _

Mizuki's eye twitched at the thought. _Nice. Even my own mind is turning against _me. She closed her own eyes again, closing him out.

"No," she said. Suddenly, she felt completely exhausted, as if all her energy was drained out from her. "There is nothing to talk about."

How can she talk about it, when she doesn't know what to say about it?

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Kurei knew the minute she actually fell asleep. Her hands had been in her lap, balled tightly into fists, and they'd relaxed. Her breathing had slowed, too, and her pretty mouth was no longer a narrow, angry line. He should have talked to her about anything just to distract her from her thoughts, at least until they got back to the manor. But then, she would refuse to admit that something was bothering her.

How long could she manage to maintain her frozen heart? Already he could see how her icy walls were slowly but surely being thawed out by a certain crimson-haired boy. She may not notice it herself, but Mizuki is more relaxed whenever the redhead is around. Just the littlest of words or touches was enough to elicit a response from the usually indifferent assassin.

He glanced at his sleeping companion. He remembered her younger days, when she still have a sliver of innocence in her. How far she'd gone from the nice, little girl that had once been the angel of the Residence into a cold-blooded murderer just like the rest of them, if not even worse.

His thoughts strayed to the Akashi heir. For some odd reason, he wished that he would be the one to save the chartreusette from her own world of hell.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Mizuki woke with a start, just as the car pulled up outside the hotel where the party was held. She had no idea how long she'd slept, but she felt oddly refreshed. She waited for Kurei to unlock the door, but he didn't.

"Kurei," she said, her hand on the door handle.

"Mizuki," he looked at her with concern. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"You're beginning to sound like a broken record," she said, feeling oddly grumpy. She rattled the handle impatiently. "Come on, Kurei, just let me out. Or else," she threatened, "I may have to break my way out."

Kurei shrugged his shoulders. "The car doesn't matter." Deciding to be blunt about it, he continued, "What matters is you and your feelings towards him."

She stared at him. "I don't understand."

"What's to understand? Love is never meant to be understood in the first place."

He managed to finish the statement before the girl kicked the side of the door with her foot.

"Let me out," she hissed, eyes hidden beneath her lime-green hair. "Let. Me. Out."

"Fine." He sighed as she opened the door before slamming it shut, disappearing from his sight as fast as she could.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Akashi glanced at his wristwatch for the nth time that afternoon. He sighed.

_She's late._

As if on cue, Mizuki entered the lobby, surprising Akashi as she didn't disguised herself. Her chartreuse hair fell in graceful curls down her back, the bright color in stark contrast to her royal purple dress. She only used light makeup, and even that was hardly necessary. The moment she stepped into the hall, everyone's eyes turned to her, wondering who this elegant creature is. Young men looked at her in curiosity, already thinking of asking her for a dance, while the girls looked on in obvious jealousy.

Just like the young heiress that had been clinging to Akashi since the start of the party.

"Where do you even see such hair color?" The girl with ordinary brown hair said in disgust. "Resorting to such measures just to get everyone's attention, don't you think that's a rather low thing to do, Akashi-kun?"

Only Akashi's manners kept him from speaking harshly to the airheaded brunette. He carefully but firmly removed his arm from the girl's grasp and straightened the sleeve of his suit casually. He smiled at Mizuki who was making her way towards them. "Her hair has nothing to do with it. And I assure you that it's not dyed — her hair color, odd as it may be, is perfectly natural."

"Akashi," Mizuki greeted him before looking at the gaping girl beside the redhead. She raised an eyebrow in question. "Your date?"

Akashi lightly scoffed. "Hardly." He took her hand as he led her away from the brunette. "I was waiting for you. What took you so long?"

"Nothing that concerns you," she replied coolly. "Anyway, is that okay — leaving her that abruptly?"

Akashi chuckled as they approached the punch table. Without letting go of her hand, he handed her a glass of champagne which she gratefully accepted. "She's of no significance to me."

Before she could stop herself, Mizuki blurted out. "How about me?" The moment she realized what she had just said, she almost dropped the goblet in her hand as her cheeks started to feel warm.

Fortunately for her, a middle-aged man sidled up to them to greet Akashi and to ask the whereabouts of his father. The two conversed for a few minutes about this and that, and as the man finally left them, Akashi turned to her with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, you were saying?"

"Nothing." Her reply came a bit too early. Wanting to steer the topic away from her, she asked him about the party.

"So what are you going to do tonight?"

"Nothing important, really. It's just that I am specifically invited, along with my father. You already know how this things work — they're all just keeping in good terms with the Akashi Corporation for their own reasons. Me, on the other hand, has to go out and return everyone's greetings and make myself known to the elites of the business world as the heir of the company." He paused to take a sip of his champagne. "A typical banal evening."

"You're not the only one," she pointed out, since she also have to experience the same thing as him.

"Hmm? I thought you'd have more things to do?"

"Not really. There's no one out there seeking for your blood tonight," she muttered, causing Akashi to chuckle once again. "What's so funny?" she asked, slightly irritated.

"You sound disappointed," he answered. "I'll have you know that I don't appreciate being at the end of someone's else's gun barrel, not if I can help it."

"Nothing I can't fix. No one died on my watch, and you're surely not going to be the first."

"Of course. I've complete faith in your abilities. I know you'll defend me to the death. However," all humor had gone from his voice as he pinned her with his mismatched gaze. Once again, Mizuki was trapped by those gold and crimson orbs. "I wouldn't like to have anyone die for my sake, least of all, _you_."


	18. Chapter 18

*** XVIII. A Profession Requiring Specialized Techniques and Training ***

•• **xox**_••_

The month of June was already nearing its end, and aside from a few parties and other social events that Akashi was required to attend, nothing significant happened for Mizuki. The threats on Akashi's life had stopped, but there was no knowing when they will start again. Thus, she was stuck with cleaning her weapons once in a while, and on weekends, she asks either Kurei or Yasha for a short spar in the dojo at the back of the Akashi compound, to which Akashi would just silently watch from the sidelines as he works on whatever duties his father had assigned him to do.

Tonight was no exception.

"What kinds of missions have you done before?" Akashi asked the chartreusette. The two were seated crosslegged in the middle of Mizuki's room, knives of all sorts spread out between them on the carpet. Akashi had volunteered to help out with her weekly weaponry cleaning. He watched as Mizuki eyed an ornamented dagger carefully, before testing its weight on her palm.

"It's not public information," she replied, looking at him from the corner of her eyes. Lately, Akashi had been keeping her company, be it in the dojo, in the grounds, or in her room. Well, she thought that he was merely returning the gesture, especially when she was always helping him out with his endless stack of paperworks. Times are when they would end up locked inside his study on Saturday nights, and it became the norm for her to be the one to tell Akashi to stop working and turn in for the night, thanks to his annoying habit of being a workaholic to an extreme degree. _Not that I'm concerned about him or anything_, she argued in her head everytime she clears his table despite his protests that he is not yet sleepy, even though his constant yawning (which Akashi hides behind a sheet of paper to her mild amusement) and his slightly teary eyes was already a dead giveaway of his condition. It's just that no one else is going to tell him to stop, so she decided to take it upon herself, although why she bothered to do so, she does not know.

Looking at him now watching her intently with those red and gold eyes, she wished that he was behind his study desk, buried in paperwork rather than subjecting her to his piercing gaze. In a move to distract the redhead, she gestured at the oiled rag near Akashi's feet. The redhead raised an eyebrow at her outstretched hand.

Mizuki rolled her eyes in mild irritation. "The rag, Akashi."

"Say the magic word first," he said with a smirk.

"Please." Her words were heavily laden with sarcasm.

Akashi's smirk widened. "How can I say no to that?"

Mizuki fought the urge to fall facedown on the carpet. Another thing that she noticed lately is that Akashi was becoming less reserved — the redhead seems to enjoy teasing her every chance he got. Thankfully, he rarely does it in public. Grudgingly, she accepted the offered item and proceeded to wipe down the blade with it.

"Have you ever gone on a mission outside of Japan?" Akashi asked once again after a brief moment of silence.

"You're asking a lot of questions today, aren't you?" A wary look came in her eyes. "Even though you already know everything about it anyway."

"I don't. That's why I'm asking you," he said, heterochromatic orbs staring back at her golden ones.

Mizuki sighed, handing the dagger over to Akashi, whose job was to return it to its proper place inside the metal case where the chartreusette keeps all her knives. "If I answer that question, will you promise to shut up?"

"No."

"Then answer this first: why are you asking so many questions?"

Akashi smirked as he proudly said, "I just want to know you better."

Her face fell. And she thought he'd forgotten all about that. "Can't you do that without having to speak to me?"

Akashi then reached for his phone. After a few seconds, he held it out to her.

**[Then, I will do this.]**

The redhead smirked as her eye twitched in annoyance.

_I give up._ Mizuki heaved a sigh. "So what do you want to know?"

**\- - - xox - - -**

"At the count of three," Mizuki said as she faced Akashi in the orthodox fighting stance. Both were dressed in white gis and black hakamas, feet bare. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, though her side bangs still framed her face.

Akashi mirrored her position, and nodded as they both started the countdown.

"Ichi, ni, san —!"

Akashi ducked as Mizuki lunged at him with a punch aimed at his face, only to meet a kick at the side of the body, which he blocked with his arm just in time. He saw her smirk before she executed a graceful roundhouse kick, which he evaded just in time.

They continued this deadly dance for a while, stopping once in a while to assess each other's conditions before attacking again. Although she knows that Akashi won't last against her had she been coming at him with the intent to kill, Mizuki has to hand it to the Akashi heir. He's pretty good — he could give the average operative quite a fight. The two had included sparring in their weekend activities, mainly because 1) Yasha and Kurei rarely has free time to spar with her and 2) it was a good way to release the stress of having to deal with those endless stacks of paper. She was doubtful about it at first, but when Akashi showed that he can hold his own against a trained agent, she finally conceded.

Besides, it's better if he knows how to protect himself as well.

_For when the contract ends..._

Mizuki's arm was sore from the redhead's punch, while Akashi was slightly limping from a kick to his leg. Their dance came to a halt when Mizuki caught him by surprise with a kick to his midsection.

"...Akashi?" Mizuki approached the fallen redhead. _Maybe I did hit him too hard. _Her last kick had hit him square in the stomach. She reached out to poke his cheek. Her finger was but a hairsbreadth away from his skin when Akashi suddenly smirked, eyes still closed as his hand reached up and pulled her hand downwards. An indignant yelp came from the chartreusette as she fell to Akashi's chest, totally caught unaware by the redhead's sneak attack.

Akashi chuckled then, calming Mizuki as she lay on the floor with him. He laid a hand on his stomach where Mizuki had kicked him. "I didn't saw that one coming."

"Does it hurt?" she asked with veiled concern. She did not look at him.

"A little." He then took her hand in his, lacing his fingers with hers. He lifted it up from the floor as he look at their interlaced hands. "What is your plan for the Nationals?"

"I need to be somewhere close to you without alerting suspicion," she said as she tried pulling her hand from his grip. She narrowed her eyes as he refused to let go. "Akashi, my hand."

He ignored her last statement as he stated, "You can be our manager."

She hummed in agreement. "Exactly as I planned. No one will object..." she trailed off when she noticed that he was not paying attention to her words, but on her right hand. His thumb traced the faint scar in the skin between her thumb and forefinger. She can already see the question in his eyes and so she decided to answer. "That was when I was still stupid enough to catch the blade of a katana with my bare hands."

_"O-otou-san!" The young girl screamed as she rolled out of the way just in time as the sharp metal cut through the air where she had been a split second ago. Her gold eyes widened as he still came after her, this time managing to slice a few strands of her hair as she leaped backwards, trying to put some distance between her and the man she calls father. Anyone who happened to witness this scene would be certainly horrified — how the hell can a five-year old girl match a katana-wielding adult?_

_"Otou-san..." she whimpered fearfully as the man took a step toward her with the intent to kill. Her eyes went to the dagger that was lying uselessly behind him. _If I still have my dagger, then maybe I could do something..._ Her small body was sore — a normal child couldn't have survived such an ordeal — but she was a Fujiwara, the heir to the assassin throne, and that basically explains everything. _

_Her father lunged then, the sword making a downward arc as it descended on her tiny form. Her feet was frozen, and even if they weren't, she wouldn't be able to get out of the way fast enough. Her arm moved on its own, as she screamed at the sudden pain that bloomed in her palm. She looked and saw that she had caught the blade with her bare hand, and that her blood was dripping down her hand to her arm, coating it with the warm liquid. The sight of so much blood coming from her own body made her feel dizzy, but before she lost her consciousness, she saw her father smile at her proudly — that sick, twisted proud smile of his — and she smiled back, no matter how faint it is. Mizuki didn't care. All that matters is that she had succeeded._

_I made Otou-san proud._

"And how old were you when this happened?" Akashi asked silently.

"Five."

"And who gave this to you?"

_When she opened her eyes, she was lying in her bed, still wearing the bloody and sweaty clothes from her training. Her hand had been bandaged already, but it still hurts a lot. She wondered how she would be able to handle a weapon then inwardly smacked herself for forgetting that she was ambidextrous. _

_"Itai..." she hissed at the pain when she tried moving her fingers. Her palm was probably cut wide open, and now the slightest movement makes her wince silently._

_Just as she was about to get off her bed to change her clothes, whimpering all the while, the door slid open, revealing the man that had caused her injury._

Mizuki sighed. "Father."

**\- - - xox - - -**

Akashi looked at her with a questioning look, one he'd been wearing the moment he stepped into her room.

"I'm going to teach you how to use a gun."

Mizuki reached under her pillow and when she pulled her hand back, it was holding a lustrous black object emerged—a small automatic pistol. Saying nothing, she handed it to Akashi, who also remained silent as he took it, not the least bit surprised that she was sleeping with such an object. He tested the weight of it in his hand. It was much lighter than it appeared to be. Such a small, light object could deliver death to a human being.

"You just made two major mistakes," Mizuki silently reprimanded as Akashi merely raised an eyebrow at her. He placed the gun on the bed.

"You didn't check to see if it was loaded or not and, if it was loaded, whether the safety was on. The second was that, after you took the gun, you pointed it—even if only for one split second—at me. You broke two absolute rules. Also, never put your finger inside the trigger guard if you have no intention of firing the gun."

"I see. I'll be careful from now on."

She drew a plastic bag from under the pillow. Inside were seven new bullets. She set them on the bed. "I removed them earlier. The magazine is in place, but it's empty. The chamber is empty, too."

Akashi nodded.

"Have you ever fired a gun?" she asked.

He shook his head. She looked at him in understanding.

Mizuki took the gun and showed Akashi how to handle it—how to lock and unlock the safety, how to remove and replace the magazine.

"Make sure the safety is on when you take the magazine out. After you open the catch and pull the magazine out, you pull the slide back and the bullet pops out of the chamber—not now, of course, since the gun isn't loaded. After that, the slide stays open, so then you pull the trigger like this and the slide closes but the hammer stays cocked. You pull the trigger again and the hammer falls. Then you put in a new magazine," she explained as she went through the sequence of motions with astonishing speed. Then she repeated the same sequence slowly, demonstrating each separate operation while Akashi watched intently.

_Why am I even doing this? I was assigned to guard him, not to make him my student,_ she thought wearily._ What happens to him after the contract is none of my business. It's just that..._

_I don't trust anyone else but myself to keep him safe._

"Now you try it."

Akashi carefully extracted the magazine, pulled the slide back, emptied the chamber, lowered the hammer, and reinserted the magazine.

"That's fine," Mizuki said. She wasn't surprised — Akashi is a quick learner, after all. She took the gun from him, pulled out the magazine, carefully loaded it with seven bullets, and shoved it back into the gun with a loud click. Pulling back the slide, she sent a bullet into the chamber. Then she pushed down a lever on the left side of the gun to set the safety.

"Now do the same thing you did before. Only, this time it's loaded with real bullets. There's one in the chamber, too. The safety is on, but you still shouldn't point the muzzle of the gun toward anyone."

Taking the loaded gun, Akashi found it noticeably heavier than before. Now it had the unmistakable feel of death. This was a precision tool designed to kill people. Yet it looked beautiful in Mizuki's hands. An eerie, deathly kind of beautiful.

Checking once more to make sure the safety was on, he opened the catch, pulled out the magazine, and set it on the bed. Pulling back the slide, he ejected the bullet from the chamber. It fell on the soft matress with a slight bounce. He pulled the trigger to close the slide, and pulled the trigger one more time, lowering the hammer.

"Not bad for your first time," Mizuki said, pressing the fallen 9mm bullet back into the magazine. "You should practice the movements for ejecting and reinserting the magazine several times a day until your hands learn the feel of the gun. You should be able to do it as quickly and automatically as I did. In the dark. In your case, you shouldn't have to change magazines in mid-use, but the movements themselves are the most basic of the basic for people who handle pistols. You have to memorize them."

"Don't I need to practice firing?"

"Not yet. You just have to learn to load it, release the safety, and get the feel of the trigger."

Akashi nodded. Handing the gun back to her, he asked, "Why are you doing this, Mizuki?"

Her fingers stilled. She was taking out the bullets when he spoke. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly before she resumed her work. "For emergency purposes," she replied nonchalantly. _When I am not there anymore. _

Mizuki swore that she was not concerned about his safety. That she was not getting attached to him. Then why the hell is she annoyed whenever she remembered that damn contract?

**\- - - xox - - -**

"Okay, time to go to bed," Mizuki announced as she closed the folder she'd been working on and setting it aside on one corner of the coffee table that served as her desk. She glanced at Akashi who was still typing away on his laptop. "Oi, Akashi, I said —"

"Five more minutes," he said without looking at her, determined to finish this one report — the last one — for tonight. The girl clicked her tongue in annoyance as she stood up and stretched her cramped muscles from sitting too long. She never did like deskwork in the first place, but she can't stop herself from helping Akashi out whenever he was suddenly swamped with paperworks from his numerous duties to his school and to the company.

"I'm timing you," she said as a cautionary note, looking at the time displayed on the screen of her phone.

10:56 pm.

She sat back on the couch to wait for him.

"Done," Akashi said four and a half minutes later, only to be met by silence. There on the couch was Mizuki, her head leaning on the back rest of the couch, fast asleep. Something inside him warmed up to the sight of the softly snoring chartreusette. He stood up and padded silently across the room to her. When the girl remained asleep, he felt happy. Knowing the girl's sharp senses, he could have awakened her with the slightest noise. Even the simple act of breathing can alert Mizuki to a person's presence. Her staying asleep despite the fact that he just sat next to her is merely an indication that she trusts Akashi enough to not consider him as a threat.

_She's going to have a stiff neck later when she wakes up_, he thought, noticing the angle at which her neck was bent.

Okay. He has two choices: wake her up or let her sleep. Akashi decided to go for the latter. Grabbing the blanket slung on the arm rest of the couch, he covered both of their shoulders, and as gently as he could, he moved her head so that it rests on his shoulder instead. Making himself as comfortable as he could, he too fell asleep beside Mizuki, his head resting on hers.

**\- - - xox - - -**

_Where am I_? was the first thought that came to her mind as she groggily opened her eyes only to be met by the sight of a dimly lit room, and the odd sensation of something pressing on the side of her head. She inhaled, and a familiar scent of male perfume filled her nose, and last night's events reeled back in her mind.

_So I fell asleep._ She fought the urge to stand up when she felt Akashi's arm round her waist, holding her securely to his side. Carefully, she tried to shake off his arm but it only tightened; she gave up eventually.

_It's just for tonight_, she convinced herself as she let sleep claim her. She snuggled closer to him, letting his warmth envelop her.

_It's just for tonight_.


	19. Chapter 19

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

*** XIX. As Long as The Warmth Remains ***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

It was late in June, almost three months since Mizuki started guarding Akashi, when Hayama brought up the topic during one of their lunch breaks.

"Ne, Captain, will Mizu-chan accompany us in our matches this coming InterHigh?"

The others turned to their captain expectantly, eyes sparkling in anticipation. The redhead calmly finished chewing his food before answering.

"Yes, she will. Coach allowed her to become our temporary manager for InterHigh."

Shirogane Eiji, Rakuzan's coach, knows of Akashi's situation, and although he had doubts about that doll-like girl as Akashi's "bodyguard", he gives his consent, along with the cover story of Mizuki being the team's manager.

Trainings were already hell as it is, but with the InterHigh just around the corner, Akashi had been merciless. Not just to the others, but to himself as well. Mizuki had taken it up to herself to buy them drinks and provide them towels, living up to her being their 'manager'.

As expected, Rakuzan breezed through the preliminaries without having Akashi on the court. The Uncrowned Generals did not play all at once in a single game, but having only two of them along with three other first-string members was enough to secure their spot up to the Final Four of the competition. Mayuzumi was sent out once in a while, when they were matched against some powerhouse, but other than that, he kept to the bench as Akashi was reserving him for the more challenging matches.

And so it came — the InterHigh semi-finals — and the Rakuzan team boarded the train to Tokyo, where the games will be held. The line-up was once again, the teams where his Teiko teammates belonged to. There was Tōō with Aomine, Shutoku with Midorima, Seirin with Kuroko, and lastly, Rakuzan and himself. Aside from his team, which had the same players last year, the other three teams had changed since some of the members had already graduated. Seirin's Kiyoshi Teppei was away for the treatment of his knee injury, Tōō's Imayoshi Shouichi and Susa had gone off to university, as well as Shutoku's Ootsubo, Miyaji, and Kimura.

"Akashi-kun, Fujiwara-san," Kuroko greeted them when their teams passed each other in the hallway.

"Tetsuya."

"Kuroko," Mizuki said, standing beside Akashi.

The order of the match is Rakuzan against Tōo, and Seirin against Shutoku. There was an unspoken agreement between the two boys as they looked at one another.

_See you later on court._

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Sei-chan, you're a starter?" Mibuchi asked Akashi, who had his knee bent as he tied his shoelaces. He was already in his jersey uniform, ready to warm-up for their first match.

"You cannot hope to defeat Daiki without me."

"We're going out full force then?" Hayama asked, his eyes glittering as he gazed at the team seated at the other bench. "They look pretty badass, don't you think so, Reo-nee?"

Mibuchi sighed in relief. At least Hayama was not being his usual hyperactive self today. Nebuya, though, was a different story. A loud long burp came from the muscled center's mouth.

"Where's Mi-chan, by the way? I haven't seen her since we got here on court."

Right. The chartreusette had excused herself while they were still in the locker room, and hadn't been back since then. Where did she go?

"Fujiwara had some duties to attend to. She'll be back by the end of the first quarter, at the latest." It was their coach, Shirogane Eiji, who answered. "Go now. Warm up."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Mizuki stalked the deserted hallways of the gym, looking for any suspicious things, but right now, the only suspicious thing there is is herself. Everyone else was either playing on court or seated in the spectator stands, watching. She went there next, at the very back of the bleachers, and scanned the crowd for a trace of hostile intent. Finding none, she sighed in relief and went down to where she was supposed to be originally — on the bench of the Rakuzan team, who will be playing the first game of the semifinals.

She folded towels while she watched her team shoot some hoops for their warm-up. Mibuchi did his three's, Hayama tested his dribbling skills, Akashi did lay-ups and three's, and Nebuya did his dunks.

The referee blew his whistle, calling both teams to line-up at the center line.

"Bow!"

"Let's have a good game!" Both teams said, and the game began with the jump ball, which Nebuya won without difficulty. Akashi passed the ball to a loosely-guarded Hayama, who dribbled past the startled guy and scored the first point for Rakuzan in a span of 12 seconds.

"Tch," the tanned ace of Tōo clicked his tongue as he went over to his former captain, who promptly ignored the waves of annoyance that radiated from him at being sent to guard the redhead. Oh well, he can try. It won't hurt, right?

Oh, it hurt, alright. Aomine's catchphrase of "The only one who can beat me is me" received another blow as Akashi effectively shut Tōō's ace with his Emperor Eye.

"—Shit!" And there goes Akashi, once again stealing the ball from Aomine's hands, and making a fastbreak to Nebuya, who ended the first quarter with a monstrous dunk.

Back on the bench, Akashi looked up at the scoreboards. Rakuzan was leading by 9 points, and Daiki was already in the Zone. Everything was going just as he planned. He'll do payback on last year's loss at Winter Cup this time, starting with the trophy of the InterHigh.

"Here," a voice said, and he looked up as a bottle of water and a dry towel was shoved to his face. He took them, expressing his gratitude before the chartreusette moved on to the other players.

"Mi-chan! So, how was it?" he heard Mibuchi ask, obviously fishing for the girl's compliments, which was as rare as his own.

"How was what?

"The game, Mi-chan! You were watching us, weren't you?"

"It was fine."

"Fine?" Their shooting guard echoed, disappointed at her obvious lack of enthusiasm.

"You were playing all out, right? And you're clearly enjoying yourselves. That's fine. There's no other way to describe it."

"Cut it, Mibuchi. Chibi's not gonna say anything to boost your ego," Nebuya interfered with a laugh, to which Mibuchi replied by whacking him with his towel.

"Shut up, brute."

However, Nebuya's words made Mizuki turn back and ask, "Reo-nii was expecting something else?" It was said with pure honesty and curiousity that Mibuchi failed to answer right away.

"What this guy here wants to hear from you Chibi is your praise on how well —"

"Reo-nii is fascinating to watch on the court." Mizuki stated in the same honest tone earlier. "Everyone is. But then again, it's nothing unexpected, right?"

But before anyone can react, the whistle blew, indicating the end of the break and calling all players back to the court.

If Akashi had known, he would have ordered Mizuki to dish out compliments on a regular basis if it would make his team behave like this. He watched as Hayama evade a feral-looking Aomine and pass the ball to Mibuchi, who executed his four-point play with ease over a new player of Tōō.

"Oi, Akashi, what did you do to your team this time? You did not make any declarations about gouging your eyes out or threatening them with scissors, did you? I swear they are high or something..." Aomine grumbled as they lined up for Mibuchi's free throw.

"I didn't do anything. Someone else did." Akashi's tone was still casual as he leveled Aomine with a dominating glare. "Are you accusing me of something, Daiki?"

He smirked in satisfaction when the other shrank back in fear, apologizing and grumbling at the same time.

Coach Shirogane was also thinking of the same thing. The team was still sticking to their game plan that Akashi had proposed, but as to the score —

Mibuchi's free throw went in.

The point gap was steadily increasing as Rakuzan overwhelmed Tōō. His players, with the exception of their captain, were playing a bit too energetically, and what's with glancing occasionally towards the bench's direction?

Well, Akashi himself had not voiced any objections during the halftime break, just a reminder not to push themselves too hard since they would need it tomorrow for the Finals. Victory was already certain with the way things are going.

As things turned out, Rakuzan crushed Tōō 126-97. Akashi watched Seirin's game with Shutoku in the stands along with his team. The two were equally matched — scoring right after the other — and it seemed that Midorima was also bent on getting his revenge on both Kuroko and Akashi. Anyone could win this game at this rate

"Who do you think will win this, Mizuki?" he asked his seatmate, who was quietly spectating the match below them. "Hmmm, I'll place my bet on Kuroko and Kagami's team."

"Hmm." Akashi nodded thoughtfully, and leaned his head on Mizuki's shoulder, who only gave him a puzzled look and let him be.

Kuroko did not disappoint him, though. Seirin won by a two-point margin. Before they lined up, Kuroko had looked up at Akashi as if to say that he didn't break his promise. The redhead nodded at the shadow, a smile on his thin lips

_I'll win this time._

The walk back to their hotel was unusually quiet. They were tired and full, having eaten dinner at a restaurant they passed by, and it made everyone sleepy. Their eyes were already droopy by the time they arrived to their rooms, and after exchanging muttered 'Goodnight's, they managed to take a short shower before crashing to the comfy bed and drifting off to dreamland.

Akashi went to his room after reminding the others about tomorrow's activities, with Mizuki behind him. She inspected every nook and cranny of his sleeping quarters — inside the closets, under the bed, the bathroom — before deeming it safe to leave the redhead for the night. She turned to go when Akashi grabbed her wrist.

"Stay."

The redhead did it on impulse, and even he was asking himself why he made such a ridiculous request. He did not take it back, but rather waited for her reply.

Mizuki blinked, then frowned slightly, confused. What did he say?

"...Akashi?"

"Stay with me tonight." She considered it for a moment, and she was about to ask something when Akashi answered it already. "The bed is big enough for both of us."

The girl had no qualms about it, though Akashi was half-expecting her to get flustered or whatever. When a guy suddenly asks you to sleep with them, normally, the girl would be appalled at the idea right? Apparently, Mizuki is not a normal girl. And it's not like they haven't done so before. "Fine. I'll take a shower in my room first. I'll be back in ten."

Mizuki entered Akashi's room wearing her sleeping clothes — a long-sleeved nightgown and silk pajamas in rosy pink — with a pillow in a tight embrace. She paused at the door, rubbing her eyes like a cat, and for a moment Akashi felt like he was looking at a child who was asking her parents if she could sleep with them. She gave a little yawn, then padded over to the bed where Akashi lay, his crimson hair contrasting with the stark white pillows. Without a word, she crawled under the covers, still hugging the pillow as she stared at the blank white ceiling.

They stayed that way for almost fifteen minutes, until Mizuki spoke in a gentle voice, like she was afraid of breaking the silence between them. "Go to sleep already."

_Ah, so she knows I'm still awake without looking at me_. Akashi snorted, feeling a bit childish. "I can't sleep."

She turned her head, studying Akashi's profile in the dim light from the lamp on the bedside table. He felt her sat up slowly, and he looked up at her as she did so. The girl seemed to be unsure what to do, but decided to go on with it anyways.

A gentle hand came to rest on his head, fondling his vibrant carmine locks. Her soft fingers massaged his scalp, and Akashi felt relaxed for a long time. He sighed at the relief it brought him, and his eyelids closed on their own accord. But still, he was not sleepy enough.

_I'm being impulsive,_ Akashi thought, scolding himself. _I'm not a scared kid to ask someone to sleep beside me. I don't even remember doing this when I was younger. If father learns of this, I'll never hear the end of it. But — it feels nice, having someone beside you, feeling another person's warmth close to you. I never felt this kind of feeling since Mother passed away. I never felt so relieved and relaxed. _

And then, the girl surprised him even more when a song issued from her lips. His eyes shot open, and she stopped midsentence.

"Close your eyes, Akashi." She covered them with his palm, removing them when she felt his eyelashes brush against her skin as he obliged to her request. She picked up where she left off, Akashi finding comfort in her voice as she sang an odd lullaby that was both melancholic and hopeful in meaning. When it ended, he murmured in a sleepy voice, "You should turn in for the night as well, Mizuki."

Her fingers were still playing with his hair. She hummed. "Iie. I'll watch over you until you fall asleep."

He wanted to argue, but he had no strength to speak any more, and so he gave in, but not before mumbling a barely coherent "Good night" to the girl beside him. His curiosity got the better of him, and he was actually feeling excited about having someone watching him in his sleep. His childish side was taking over him, that naive side that was born out from the lack of parental love throughout his childhood.

Mizuki listened to the even rhythm of Akashi's breathing, indicating that he is already fast asleep. She stayed like that for a few minutes before giving his head one last pat. She laid herself back on the bed, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Good night, Akashi."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Akashi had been awake for sometime now, and was observing the face of the girl sleeping beside him. He was lying on his side, head propped up on one arm. Up close, she really looks like a doll, he thought. Her face was porcelain white, with the slightest touch of pink on her cheeks. Her nose was finely sculpted, perfectly proportionate with her other features. Her lips were partly open, her breath so light that she seems to be almost not breathing at all. And her eyes — they were closed, concealing the bright gold eyes that seemed to captivate him everytime she meets his gaze. He took note of her long eyelashes, and her perfectly arched eyebrows. His free hand moved involuntarily to the her chartreuse hair that was splayed haphazardly on the bed. He brought a lock of it to his nose and sniffed it carefully, as one would do to a flower.

She smells like citrus.

Golden eyes cracked open and met Akashi's own surprised ones. She took in their position, and gave him a flat look when she realized what he was doing with her hair.

"You're weird," she said, yawning. "Why are you up so early?"

"It's a habit," he said as he let go of her hair. "We're going to jog around a bit. Would you like to come with us?"

Today was the day when Akashi would settle his score with his dear phantom, Kuroko Tetsuya. A rematch with Seirin High, with its light and shadow duo. And this time, Akashi would be the one to bring home the trophy.

As he prepared himself for the day, he replayed the events of last night and early morning in his head. The snarky half of him was berating himself for acting so impulsively and childishly, while the naive and innocent half was practically begging him to make it a regular occurence since it really is a nice thing to have. Akashi was having a hard time who to side with.

Mizuki took a long time in the shower, letting the hot water turn her alabaster skin to an alarming shade of pink. They had just finished jogging and were preparing for breakfast.

She placed a hand above her heart. She remembered that weird feeling when she woke up with Akashi looking at her like that.

Why did she not woke up when he touched her hair?

She hate this. Trust is a weakness. She hate feeling weak. She hates being trustful of the redhead. Every day it seems like she is getting more and more vulnerable to this emotions inside her — emotions she didn't knew existed until he woke them from their slumber. Akashi is more dangerous than she thought.

He was the only one to bring down her walls.


	20. Chapter 20

*** XX. Put A Tiger In Your Tank ***

"We're sooo winning this match!" Hayama said with a matching fist pump. Mibuchi only looked at him briefly in annoyance before returning to his job - which was braiding their manager's hair.

They were currently in Rakuzan's locker room, waiting for their match against Seirin. Akashi and Coach Shirogane had just finished discussing their game plan, and now, the team was getting bored already. Everyone was itching to get their revenge.

"Reo-nee, how did you learn to do that?" Hayama sidled over to them, looking at Mizuki's hair that was now gathered in a loose braid.

"He probably practiced with his own hair," Nebuya snickered to the side finding the picture of their shooting guard sitting in front of a mirror and braiding his raven hair as very amusing.

"Idiots. Everyone can do such a simple task," Mibuchi scoffed. "Sei-chan can even do this, no doubt."

Akashi looked up from his clipboard at the mention of his name. Mizuki was seated with her back to Mibuchi, who was fixing the part of her braid where Hayama had poked his finger. Nebuya was blowing a bubble gum balloon while Mayuzumi was in his usual corner, head stuck in yet another light novel.

"How can you even say that for certain, Reo-nee?" Hayama's brows furrowed. _Akashi braiding Mizuki's hair? Nah..._

_Ah, so that was what they were talking about, _Akashi thought with a sigh. _Hmp._

"He can," came the quiet voice of the only female in the room. "He already did once."

"Eh?" Mibuchi blinked. Even Mayuzumi, who was listening to their conversation all along, lowered the book from his face as he looked at Akashi then to Mizuki and back to Akashi again. "EH?!"

The ravenhaired shooting guard almost tripped over his own words. "You—you mean that one time when your hair was in an intricate fishtail braid?!"

Mizuki simply nodded, then turned to the pokerfaced Akashi for proof. "You did, didn't you?"

"Aa."

The girl shrugged her shoulders at the gaping Mibuchi and the equally startled Hayama, Nebuya, and Mayuzumi as if to say, 'See?'

When they continued looking at him in disbelief, Akashi sighed to himself, then walked over to Mizuki. She didn't question him when he pulled off the hairtie securing her braid and ran his fingers through her silky chartreuse locks. With deft movements, Akashi began nonchalantly fixing Mizuki's hair in that fishtail braid that he had done once to her. Five minutes later, he stepped back and revealed his handiwork to his team.

"Simple," he murmured, then picked up the clipboard that he'd abandoned earlier. He ran a hand through his own hair. He noticed that his hand smelled slightly like Mizuki's hair — of oranges and lemons. He smiled to himself, watching them from the corner of his eye. _They can be absurd at times._ Mibuchi was fawning over Mizuki while Hayama had turned to bursting Nebuya's gum bubble every chance he get. He wondered briefly how the other teams would react if they happened to see the Rakuzan team acting as such.

He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall above the door. As the second hand completed its revolution, he picked up his jacket and slung it over his shoulders, the sleeves hanging useless at his sides. Mizuki had stood up as well and did the same, her own jacket covering her shoulders. Nodding at her, he called to the others and they met his eyes with determined gazes.

"It is time."

* * *

Mizuki glanced at the scoreboard.

54-42.

In favor of Rakuzan.

"Not bad for the first half," she heard Nebuya said as they walked back to the locker room at halftime. Akashi was leading them, of course, a smirk on his lips. She fought the urge to chuckle beside him.

_Everything was going according to Akashi's plan._

"Ne, Mi-chan, what can you say?" Mibuchi asked from behind her.

_What can I say?_ "Everyone did a good job." Her voice was a bit warmer than she had intended it to be. Even she herself was surprised.

"I'll be sure to land more three-point shots in the next half to impress Mi-chan!"

"Hah! Well, I will be making more dunks—too many that the hoop might as well give in to my strength!"

Hayama laughed. "Strength? Or your weight?" He yelped as he narrowly dodged Nebuya's fist.

"Don't go making it into an internal competition," Mayuzumi chided. "We have a game plan to follow. Don't forget that."

The three stopped their bickering and gazed at their captain's back. "Hai, hai."

When they got to the locker room, Mizuki went over to the cooler containing their drinks and tossed them the bottles over her shoulder, knowing perfectly where to toss and confident enough that they will be able to catch it. The towels came next. They don't need ice packs as they were hardly exhausted at all. Akashi's training had already prepared them for this. If anything, his training menu was even more exhausting than today's game. Although it might be a hasty conclusion since it is just the first half.

As they wiped their sweat, Mizuki approached them, carrying a plastic food container in her hands.

"Honeyed lemons?" she asked, offering it to them.

The four beamed at her as they each took a slice of the yellow fruit.

"Thanks, Mi-chan!" Mibuchi and Hayama chorused before taking a bite. Mayuzumi only gave her a grateful smile while Nebuya was already on his second slice.

"This—tastes—good," Nebuya mumbled between bites.

"Akashi?" Mizuki asked the redhead, who was wiping his face with the towel in his right hand. He was holding a clipboard in his left. He met her questioning gaze and merely nodded at her. She waited for him to take a slice but when he did not, she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're taking too long," she complained monotonously. He returned the gesture and replied in a light tone.

"_You're _the one that's taking too long."

She snapped. "What?"

Akashi gestured at the towel and the clipboard in his hands. "My hands are full," he stated, lifting them up a bit to emphasize. He smirked then. "Feed me."

"...Eh?" Mizuki blinked, once, twice, then shook her head lightly in confusion. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," Akashi replied. He looked at her expectantly — as expectant as he could get — and Mizuki narrowed her eyes at him. After a brief staring contest, she sighed and gave in to his wishes.

With her thumb and forefinger, she gingerly picked up a slice of lemon and held it to his mouth. "Here," she muttered, obviously unhappy at having to do such a thing. She watched as he leaned forward, his lips parted to take the food offered to him, only to jerk her hand abruptly when the unmistakeable feel of Akashi's tongue ghosted over the tip of her forefinger. Mizuki twitched when she saw Akashi smirking shamelessly at her slightly flustered appearance as he chewed on his lemon slice. When he had swallowed it, he grinned at her.

"Another?"

She huffed in reply, then shoved the container in his hands, where he was forced to balance it atop the clipboard. However, instead of getting angry, he chuckled as he watched her retreating form before picking up another slice of lemon. As he brought it to his lips and took a bite, he idly thought, _The first was much more sweeter, though._

* * *

"Oi, Kuroko, don't you think Akashi is smiling a bit too much?"

"Hm?" Seirin's phantom turned his head to look at their opponents' bench area. Sure enough, there was his former captain, looking very much pleased at something.

It bothered him slightly. From experience, it never was a good thing when Akashi smiles.

_What could Akashi-kun be planning?_

The whistle blew, signalling the start of the second half of the Finals. The two teams gathered back on the court after doing their customary team cheers — Seirin gathered in a circle and shouted, "SEIRIN, FIGHT!" while Rakuzan had a more quiet ritual, with their captain saying a few words, ending it with the word "Katsu!", eliciting a determined "Of course" from his teammates.

Second half started with Seirin's possession, intent on making a basket and cut off Rakuzan's lead of twelve points from the first half. However, it was easier said than done. Rakuzan was playing better than they did in the first half, and their defense was a lot tighter, making it hard to score.

Akashi has not even activated his skill yet.

"Kuso," Kagami cursed under his breath. He was to use his Zone during the fourth quarter but by that time, it could be too late to do anything. And Akashi was almost invincible to Kuroko's Quasi-Emperor by now. They wouldn't be able to catch him off-guard as easily as they did in last year's Winter Cup.

Hayama, who was guarding Seirin's ace, grinned at him. "This is payback, you know. For Winter Cup — we'll defeat everyone and win all three trophies this year!"

Kagami sweatdropped. He doesn't really get how this guy compute things.

And then Akashi stole the ball from Izuki, passed it to Mayuzumi who in turn passed it to Hayama who bypassed Kagami easily with five fingers and made an alley-oop with Nebuya, scoring the first two points of the quarter for their team.

"Ha!" Hayama laughed then turned to their bench's direction, meeting her golden eyes. "See that Mi-chan! I'm awesome, right?"

"Che. It was me who dunked the ball in. I'm the one who's awesome," Nebuya argued, making Hayama glare at him.

"Idiots. You wouldn't be able to do that if I didn't pass the ball to you," Mayuzumi said, pointing at Hayama.

Mibuchi was about to join in the childish argument when Akashi beat him to it. "None of all that would be possible if I didn't made that steal." His statement shut everyone up, knowing that it was the truth. Satisfied that he had made his point, Akashi nodded at the other end of the court. "Good. We still have a game to play, or have you forgotten?"

Seirin stared at the scene before them. What the hell was that about?

On Rakuzan's bench, their coach Shirogane Eiji finally understood. _I see now_. In one way or another, Akashi's bodyguard, this girl named Fujiwara Mizuki had captured the hearts of the members of Rakuzan's basketball team.

* * *

When Seirin called for a timeout, the Rakuzan players immediately looked for their manager, who was quietly folding towels behind the bench. Hayama bounded over to her and asked if she still have some honeyed lemons.

"Here," she said, reaching over for a plastic container containing said treat. Hayama excitedly got one slice and bit into it, savoring the sour-sweet taste.

"Mizuki," Akashi called out, and she faced him with a mild glare. He smirked at her, silently conveying his message to her.

"Seriously," she muttered under her breath as she walked over to him. This time she had a fork ready, much to Akashi's annoyance.

Spearing a lemon slice with it, she brought it to his lips. "Open up," she said as if feeding a child.

Akashi grabbed her wrist to guide it lest she shove the fork down his throat. It was highly unlikely, but Akashi wouldn't risk it.

"I don't see why I have to feed you this time," she said as Akashi hummed his appreciation.

"Think of it as a reward for my hard work... Another?"

She sighed in defeat, but did as he requested, surprising him slightly because he was sure that she would refuse the second time.

"If you put it that way... Here..."

"Waah, Sei-chan, that's unfair! Mi-chan, feed me too!" Mibuchi had seen them and had sidled over to where they sat, asking to have the same privilege as their captain.

"Reo-nee —"

An arm around her waist cut her off as she let out a surprised gasp as Akashi pulled her close to him. "No," he said to Mibuchi while controlling the girl's hand to have himself another slice.

"B-but—!"

"No but's, Reo." Akashi smirked. "Mizuki is mine."

* * *

"So we face off again, Tetsuya," Akashi said as Kuroko stood in front of him. It was the last minute of the fourth quarter, and Rakuzan was leading by three points. Seirin was aiming for an overtime.

"Hai, Akashi-kun." Kuroko can see the chartreusette in his peripheral vision as he and Akashi were near the Rakuzan bench.

"You like Fujiwara-san, don't you, Akashi-kun?" was all he said before lunging for the ball, but the redhead had seen it coming, though the question made him a bit uneasy.

"Focus, Tetsuya," he replied as he evaded the phantom smoothly.

Akashi dribbled the ball slowly, then in a flick of his wrist too fast for Kuroko to follow, he passed the ball to his left, where Mayuzumi was waiting. Kuroko darted in front of Rakuzan's own phantom, ready to intercept his pass to Mibuchi, who was in the best position in to make a shot. To his surprise, Mayuzumi dribbled the ball, breaking past Mitobe and Kiyoshi, making his way to the goal.

"No, you don't!" Kagami shouted as he jumped to block Mayuzumi's shot.

Only that Mayuzumi didn't. Instead, he tossed it up backwards.

A flash of red came from Kagami's right.

"Owari da, Kuroko." Akashi smiled as he caught the ball mid-air.

"The winner of this match—"

He dunked the ball into the hoop and landed gracefully on his feet.

"—is me."


	21. Chapter 21

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

*** XXI. War Of Hearts and Minds ***

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

"What are you looking at, Mizuki?" Akashi asked her when he reappeared beside her with a tray of food. As he set the platter on the table, Mizuki, who was observing something in the cafeteria, turned her gaze back at the book lying open on the table before her.

"Nothing." Her eyes skimmed through the page as one does when reading, but to Akashi it seems like she was not really looking at the paper but rather through it. He sat down and doled out her share — a milkshake, a burger, and fries. He took the same for himself.

It was a week after the InterHigh, and it was now summer — which means Hell to Rakuzan's basketball team, knowing their captain's rigorous training menus. The scorching heat doesn't help things, either.

And so, here they are, the two of them, waiting for the rest of the regulars for their special summer training under Akashi Seijuurou himself.

She closed the book with a silent sigh, and took a dainty sip of her milkshake. She picked up a french fry and munched on it slowly as she stared at the passersby outside the glass walls of the fastfood joint.

Akashi, as far as he can tell, knows that something is weighing heavily on the chartreusette's mind. It has to be something deep for the emotionless assassin to openly show her emotions like this. Her normally calm pools of gold had a turbulent look in them and her shoulders were slightly hunched forward. He continued to observe her diminish the fries in an excruciatingly slow pace, her burger untouched, the milkshake now forgotten. On her third sigh, he decided to break the ice.

"Mizuki," and her name made her turn her head to Akashi almost wearily. "What's bothering you?"

She regarded him for a full minute and replied, closing her eyes slowly then opening them just as she spoke. "It's nothing."

"It cannot be simply 'nothing' if it makes you act like that." He rested his elbow on the tabletop and placed his chin on his hand. "Tell me."

She unwrapped her burger, its paper wrapper rustling as she did. She brought it to her mouth then paused. "The matter is hardly worth discussing. Besides, its your fault." She took a bite and chewed gracefully.

Her answer made Akashi blink. _My fault?_ "How come it's my fault?"

Mizuki, however, had once again opened her book and reading it — truthfully this time — while stuffing her mouth with the burger as if she didn't hear his question.

_Now she's ignoring me. How typical of you, Mizuki._

And so as not to worsen her current mood even further, Akashi decided to let the matter go, though temporarily. _I can just bug her about it some other day._ But still it made him wonder.

_How come it's my fault?_

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

The group met in front of the train station where a limousine was waiting for them to take them to a private resort owned by Akashi's family. It was a quiet ride, as if Mizuki's gloominess had somehow managed to infect even the usually rowdy Hayama.

It lasted only as long as they were on the road, though. The moment they arrived at the summer paradise (soon to be Hell), the three Uncrowned Generals raised a cry of excitement and practically went out barelling into the beckoning surf in the distance, only to go running back to the car when Mibuchi was reminded of their luggage. Akashi stood beside the limousine, the trunk open revealing their bags. He gave the three an unamused look. Mizuki on the other hand, was talking to Mayuzumi about something they can't hear clearly. After a short lecture from their captain, they all took their things and headed to the beach house, the three continuing their noisy chatter to which Akashi was grateful for, for it elicited a snarky remark from the chartreusette and finally prompting her to join in the ruckus, even dragging Mayuzumi and eventually him in their stupid contest of seeing who will be the first to reach the house. And so, with a great shout from Nebuya, the six teenagers, with their bagpacks on their backs, raced across the sand with smiles on their faces.

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

"Woo!" Hayama dived into the pool first, discarding his shirt mid-jump, splashing those who stood at the side — namely, Mayuzumi, Nebuya, and Mibuchi. Akashi, fortunately, was out of the water's range. The three sighed at his usual hyper attitude, and moved to take off their shirts that were now slightly a bit wet courtesy of the loud blonde.

"Why are you still standing there? Come on, people, into the water already!" Hayama shouted, a wide grin on his face. They had opted to use the pool inside the villa instead of going to the beach as the heat was too much, and none of them would appreciate the sunburns they were sure to have afterwards. He winked at Nebuya, who grinned back at him and without warning, he shoved Mibuchi into the water. However, Mibuchi was quick to grab Nebuya's arm, taking him down along. Nebuya, on the other hand, bumped into Mayuzumi and so, all three went falling down like dominoes into the pool, much to Hayama's laughter.

As the four bickered about what had just happened, Mizuki made her entrance. She had on a simple black bikini with a purple translucent cloth around her waist. Her waist length hair was tied up in a high ponytail, showing off her slender neck.

"Why is it so noisy out here?" she asked in her usual blank voice and all five regulars of Rakuzan turned to look at her.

The effect was immediate.

Everyone blushed in varying degrees of red. Hayama sputtered in the water and Mayuzumi had to hold his head up by the hair to keep him from drowning. Mibuchi stared, gaping at her. Nebuya's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. And Akashi —

Mizuki noticed him standing in the shade, still not venturing into the water. His face looks red.

"Akashi, are you not feeling well?" she asked, walking towards him.

"No, I'm fine. The sun is just too hot." Akashi wanted to roll his eyes at his lame excuse. Of course, the sun is hot.

It's summer, after all.

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

"Come on, Mizu-chan! Into the water already!"

The girl turned to the ravenhead and lazily sauntered off to the edge of the pool.

"Yes, yes, you don't have to be so loud about it," she complained and dipped a toe in the water. "It's too cold..."

"It's perfect," Hayama disagreed, floating on his back blissfully.

"Hmp," she said and sat at the edge, soaking her lower leg completely into the water, swinging them back and forth, splashing the blonde on purpose. Ignoring his cries of protest, she glanced at Akashi behind her who had been watching them silently from afar.

"Akashi, you're not going to join us?" she asked, golden eyes bright with repressed joy. The redhead realized that this was the first time he saw her completely relaxed and at ease.

Akashi liked seeing her this way.

Suddenly, she stood up, as if remembering something important. "I'll be back," she said and reentered the house, ignoring their shouts for her to come back. She ignored Akashi's eyes that were fixed on her back.

She emerged some time later pushing a food cart out the kitchen door.

"Food," she announced, and the four boys in the pool scrambled out of the water to see what she had made.

"It was what the refrigerator had," she commented almost apologetically. There were burgers and some potato chips, and she had made some iced tea.

"The food supply is on its way," Akashi said as he unstacked the glasses and poured iced tea in each them. As he passed a glass to Mizuki, their fingers brushed ever so slightly, yet it was enough to make them freeze for a second.

"Thanks," Mizuki murmured before hurrying to her previous position on the pool's edge. She bit into her burger as someone sat beside her.

"Chips?" A bowl full of potato chips was offered to her by a pale hand.

"Domo," she said before taking a few pieces. For a while, there was only the sound of crunching between the two of them.

"Mayu-chan, don't go hogging Mi-chan!" Mibuchi suddenly shouted behind them and in a flash, he had settled on her other side, offering his bowl of chips to her. "Mine's better, Mi-chan — it's sour cream-flavored! Come on, try it!"

The girl humored her senpai and did as he requested. "It's delicious," she commented, and Mibuchi beamed at her praise, sticking his tongue out at Mayuzumi childishly, who responded with an indignant snort.

"It's getting hot," Hayama said. "Back to the water!"

Without warning, he dove into the pool, and Mizuki was quick to shield her face with her hands to avoid getting her face splashed.

"Aa," she said in agreement to Hayama's comment. Beads of sweat was starting to form on her neck and brow.

She glanced at Akashi, who was drinking his iced tea in the shade. He was feeling the heat as well, evident by his perspiration. Without meaning to, she watched, entranced, as a drop of sweat rolled down his neck, disappearing into his shirt collar. She was too caught up in her staring that she was unable to do anything when Mayuzumi and Mibuchi grabbed her arms and pulled her into the water with them.

Nebuya chortled at her while Hayama was complaining about how he should have been the one to push her to the pool. She splashed the four of them in the face, smirking as they spluttered, then swam towards Akashi's side of the pool and leaned her elbows on the edge.

"You coming in, Akashi?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

Akashi placed his glass back down on the cart and looked at her wordlessly before removing his shirt in front of her.

She quickly tore her eyes away from him and focused on the blue skies above them. Akashi didn't miss her actions though, and chuckled.

"It's not like you haven't seen this before," he said in a low voice that only she can hear.

"Shut up and get in the water already," she shot back before swimming back to where the others were huddled in a circle. Akashi joined them not too long after, choosing to stay beside her.

"Minna, wanna play water-wrestling?" Hayama asked excitedly.

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

Mizuki sang along silently as she played piano, her fingers dancing elegantly over the ebony and ivory keys. In the dimly lit room, she looked like an ethereal being.

That morning, Kurei had talked to her and mentioned something about her getting 'more human', in his exact words. She narrowed her eyes at him, not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. She is an assassin after all, and being an assassin is hardly normal for a human.

What kind of human would kill another in cold blood? Without feeling remorse?

_**We are not allowed to feel.**_ Her dead father's dark words played like a spell in her head. _**We do not have a heart. We only live to kill. We live by taking other's lives.**_

_**You're a monster.**_

Her hands are stained with blood; she can see them bright crimson against the white of the ivory keys. No matter how immaculate they seem, her fingers always looked bloody to her.

"Interesting," a low voice murmured from across the room.

Mizuki whirled, her hands freezing over the keys. Akashi approached her cautiously. He moved so silently she hadn't even heard him come in.

"Akashi," she said. Her dark thoughts vanished at the redhead's appearance.

"So you know music as well," he murmured. "Why am I not surprised?" He gestured at the space beside her on the piano bench. "May I sit?"

Mizuki blinked in surprise, then narrowed her eyes before turning her attention back to the piano. "You don't have to ask." It seemed pointless, not when he owned everything in here. If anything, it should be her asking him to let her use the instrument.

He ignored her comment as he played a couple of notes. Neither one spoke until the notes faded to silence.

"You never answered my question," Akashi suddenly murmured.

"What quest — Oh." Mizuki sighed quietly as she recalled their conversation earlier. "And I told you that it's a matter hardly worth discussing."

He hummed. "What if I just wanted to know?"

"Why should you be interested?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" he shot back, and smirked when he saw Mizuki's annoyed expression.

"Your curiosity is so annoying," she stated flatly, pressing a couple of high notes.

"And your secrecy is so frustrating," was his smooth reply.

They stared at one another and sighed.

"We're starting to train tomorrow," Akashi finally said after a period of silence. "You don't have to watch over us the whole day — feel free to roam the villa and use the facilities so you won't feel bored."

Mizuki shifted in her seat. She's not sure why he was telling her all this — it's almost like he really cares for her even in the most trivial ways. So what if she did get bored? Why would he even think of that? He —

"Are you alright, Mizuki?"

A cold, blank look came into her golden eyed, reminding Akashi when he first met the female assassin. The joy she had earlier was completely gone as if it hadn't existed in the first place. And here he thought that maybe, just maybe, that Mizuki was finally starting to act normally as a human and not as the unforgiving murderer who kills as ordered.

"It's of no concern to you. Now, excuse me, I have a job to do."

And with that, she left the room.

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

Mizuki patrolled the boundaries the ten-hectare villa, moving like a wraith in the shadows of the night. She cursed herself for letting her guard down — the past few months had been the result of her stupidity. She should have pushed him away the very first time, should have discouraged him and his plan to know her better, should have stopped him from getting this close to her.

_I should have refused the mission in the first place._

Her mission cover was for her to pretend as his friend but she never expected for it to be true. She'd done a lot of covers in the past — she'd been once a daughter, a girlfriend, a maid, a prostitute, a waitress, a singer, a dancer — but this was the first time that she had to pretend to be a friend to someone she was supposed to protect. She was an assassin, not a bodyguard, for crying out loud. When she went undercover as the long-lost daughter of a drug lord, it was to kill him in the end. Same as the rest of her previous covers — it always end with her killing her supposedly boyfriend, master, customer or whatever. Unlike right now — since it was her priority that Akashi is alive at the end of the day.

_Troublesome._

After making a full sweep of the property grounds, Mizuki decided to remain outside for a while. She went to the seashore, where the gentle sound of the surf calmed her just a bit. Taking off her slippers, she walked at the edge of the shore, where the waves can reach her bare feet and wash away the tracks that she had made.

After a while of walking, she stopped and stared at the horizon. She sat down, not caring if she got wet by the seawater. She just sat there, hugging her knees close to her chest like a frightened child, gazing out to the sea, and waited for the sun to rise.

* * *

*****Reviews are much appreciated!*****


	22. Chapter 22

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

***XXII. The Wind's Private Thoroughfare ***

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

"Please, don't—!"

_Shick!_

"Pathetic," she muttered as she stared at the man's body, where a pool of crimson was growing steadily from where the bullet had pierced the middle of his forehead. "No one dares to harm Akashi and live."

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

"Where have you been this time, Mizuki?"

She bit back a curse as her hand almost slipped on the window sill. Mizuki was about to slide the window open when Akashi's voice came from inside her room. She sighed before slipping in through the opening, noiseless as a cat, and found him sitting crosslegged in the middle of her bed.

Mizuki yanked the mask covering half her face then freed her hair from its high ponytail.

"Here and there... Killing people, what else..." she replied nonchalantly as she moved to take off her black operative clothes. The fingerless gloves came first, followed by her boots. She straightened up and pulled down the zipper of her black fitting jacket halfway, and when Akashi did not budge from his seat, she glared at him.

"Akashi," she growled, annoyance rolling off her in waves.

"Hm?" he replied and cocked his head in her direction.

"Get out of my room."

"Why should I?"

"Because I'll be changing my clothes," she snarled. "Now, out."

"Use the bathroom."

"No."

Akashi shrugged. "Then suit yourself," and stayed where he was.

She twitched in annoyance but decided not to let it get to her. Akashi has been doing nothing but trying to get a rise from her for almost a month as if he had nothing better to do than to annoy the hell out of her just to get her to speak to him. However, Mizuki had spoken enough words to him tonight.

To Akashi's surprise, Mizuki did not go to the bathroom; rather, she pulled the zipper to her jacket all the way down, revealing a black tube top and her flat stomach underneath. She dropped the jacket to the floor, turned her back to him, and started undoing the button to her pants. She heard a choked sound from behind. A rustle of sheets, the sound of footsteps and finally, the door to her room opened and closed with a silent click.

Alone now, she dropped the act and hissed in pain as she limped to her bed. She pulled her pants down to her thighs and sat on the bed, where she carefully continued the act without jostling her right knee too much. She bit her lip in annoyance as she prodded the angry bruise with a finger.

_I was being careless. And damn it, it hurts._

It was already the middle of September, almost a month since she stopped talking to Akashi unless they were in school. The rest of the team, except Mayuzumi perhaps, had no clue of what was going on with the two of them. Inside the campus, nothing changed between them — the usual teasing, arguments, small talk, joining the team's antics once in a while — but only when they have company. When it was just the two of them, well, let's just say that she was nothing but distant and cold. Akashi might as well do not exist, except that he does and she was bound to guard him yet she ignores him. Ryuunosuke, Kazehaya, Kurei, Yasha — even Akashi's father — had noticed the sudden change in their relationship, but said nothing about it.

Only the heir himself seemed to have a problem with it.

When she 'left the villa on the pretense that her family had some kind of an emergency', Akashi was outraged. Especially when he found out all about it by a note she left on the living room table — it was Mibuchi who stumbled upon it first. Of course, Mizuki was still in the villa, just that she will be guarding Akashi from the shadows, as she should have been doing in the first place.

When Akashi and the rest of the Kiseki no Sedai played against the Jabberwock, she had accompanied him and they did their own little act around his friends. Kuroko, observant as ever, had asked Akashi about them, and the redhead brushed off the question with a curt, "Nothing." The phantom looked unconvinced, but he did not pursue the matter.

The foreign players were strong, she can see that, but to her surprise, not once did she ever doubted that Akashi would lose. However, when she saw his frustration at their opponent, she felt a sliver of guilt and thus had tended to him — wiping his sweat, giving him water, even feeding him honeyed lemon slices by hand and massaging his sore muscles. As if that wasn't enough, she had gone and held his hand as he was heading off to court for the fourth quarter, looked him straight in the eye and declared, "I have faith that you will win."

And so they did, at Akashi's lead, had defeated the arrogant members of Jabberwock, who turned out to be sore losers in the end. The one that Akashi was up against, that blonde man with the same eye as Akashi, had tried to grab the redhead when they were exiting the court, but Mizuki had smoothly intervened, pretending to be rushing over to Akashi to congratulate him and thus, it was her shoulder that Nash had grabbed instead. At her fake gasp of surprise, Akashi had turned and his heterochromatic eyes flared murderously when he saw Nash holding her.

_"Hey, look what we got here," Nash had said in English, pulling Mizuki flush against him, his arm secured around her as he dipped her like they were dancing. "Say, how about having a night with me before we leave this place?" One hand cupped her face to tilt it upwards to meet his own, intent on claiming her lips. Akashi was about to do something when she smirked, the only warning that Nash got before she slammed her knee where it hurts the most and he dropped to the ground, groaning in pain._

_"Serves you right, bastard," she replied coolly in Nash's language, surprising everyone with her perfect English before she turned and walked to where Akashi was, ignoring their stares at her actions._

_"Let's go, Akashi?" _

_The redhead let out a sigh of relief and held her hand. "Aa. We're done here."_

_They celebrated their victory in a restaurant — Akashi's treat — and everyone went home happy and with a full belly. Mizuki and Akashi had stayed in a hotel for the night, deciding to return to Kyoto the next day as it was too late at night to make the trip and Akashi was exhausted as well. Which was a good thing, since Akashi had went straight to sleep after taking a shower and thus Mizuki didn't have to ignore him and all his attempts to start a conversation with her._

Back in the manor, she no longer accompanies him around; rather, she was making herself scarce by going to the Akashi dojo, practicing. However, she had given the maids orders on what time and what food to serve Akashi snacks during the day, and she had her ways of watching Akashi without being seen by him, which is by standing guard outside his study window. And when he was overworking himself, she cannot do anything but to wait until he falls asleep on the study table, and only then will she get in to put a blanket around his shoulders and organize his desk.

It's the least that she can do to ease the nasty feeling inside her that she had come to know as guilt — but guilt for what? For doing her job the way it should be done?

She'll never know.

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

It was Sunday, and she was to head to the Residence to report on her mission to Ryuunosuke. Kazehaya was, as usual, standing guard at the gates and had let her in without as much as a greeting, though she ignored the troubled look that he had given her as she walked away.

She met Ryuunosuke in the pavillion in the middle of the lake, and they had tea and biscuits as she told him of the week's events.

"They're becoming restless again. There are two threats on Seijuurou's life in a span of six days and they are getting more troublesome, as you said in your report..." Ryuunosuke said thoughtfully.

Something smells fishy.

Mizuki thought so as well. "They're planning something big."

The older man nodded in agreement. "I trust that you can handle it."

"Hai."

"Good. I know you can." As Mizuki stood up to leave, Ryuunosuke gave her a sad smile. When she had already gone to the other side of the lake, he whispered to himself, staring at her empty tea cup.

"But sometimes, I wish you can't."

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

Akashi was waiting for her in the living room. He knows that she will have to pass there to get to the stairs leading to her room, and thus had decided to make it his ambush point.

To say that Mizuki was annoying him with her actions was an understatement. Why the sudden reversal to her old self? Why the silent treatment? It was going so well — Akashi had never seen her that relaxed during their first day in the summer villa — only to know that she 'left' the next day and suddenly springing the cold shoulder on him.

What happened?

Akashi had never been so confused in his life.

Until now.

And to know that she tricked him into playing along with her.

_'We will act 'normally' around other people to avoid suspicion. I cannot attract anymore attention to myself if I suddenly dropped out from Rakuzan, and besides, I am to remain as your classmate to guard you effectively inside the campus. If you refuse to cooperate, then I will have to drop this mission and Jin will have to find someone else to be your guard."_

She make it sound like she'd rather die than be associated with him, but that doesn't explain the little things that she was doing for him.

He was aware that she was the one who gave the maids his schedule. Same with the blanket around his shoulders and his clean desk when he wakes up the following morning.

Akashi has the urge to shake her until she snaps out of it.

Half an hour later, and she arrived. He knows she'd been to the Residence — he knows her schedule. She walked past him without as much as an acknowledgment, heading for the stairs, but Akashi stood in her way.

She had no choice but to notice him.

"Yes?" she asked — but it sounded more like a statement. She's talking in a monotone again.

He met her gaze and held it in place. "We need to talk. Now."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes, there is. Why are you doing this, Mizuki?"

"I am merely doing my job. And that is to protect you. It is not in my job description to be friends with you. I believe I had made that clear before."

Akashi snapped. "So you're following just what is written on your mission detail like a puppet?"

Mizuki scoffed as she turned the other way — to the kitchen. "That's rich coming from you." She turned to face him and continued, "You who is a puppet as well."

And she left, leaving a fuming Akashi behind.

_I'm sorry._

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

"Oi, Mizuki, that was a bit low, don't you think?" Yasha greeted her the moment he stepped into the kitchen.

"He wants to talk. I don't." She stirred whatever it is that she was cooking.

"What's that?" the blonde asked, going over to her side and looking down at the contents of the pot. Small white cubes floated in the delicious smelling soup.

"...Tofu?"

"Aa." She covered the pot and turned off the fire. Yasha followed her with confused eyes as she took out a silver tray and a bowl from the cupboards. She arranged some napkins on the tray, and set out a pair of chopsticks on the side. With a bowl in hand, she approached the stove but Yasha stopped her.

"Why are you cooking tofu at eight in the evening?"

"Because he did not eat dinner earlier," she replied while shoving him out of the way.

"Yeah, probably pissed off at your words..." he taunted. "So what, this is a peace offering?"

"No."

Yasha's brows furrowed. "Then why—?"

"He's locked up in the study, his father isn't here, and the maids are too scared to knock on his door to call him down to dinner. Akashi needs to eat, and as one of the servants put it, only me is brave enough to go to the lion's den," she explained as she ladled soup into the bowl. "Or you can do me a favor and give this to him."

Before Yasha could protest, she had already shoved the tray into his hands.

"Good night, Yasha."

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Mizuki turned in her bed. She was ready to fall asleep but an idiot was knocking on her door. She sighed in frustration. Yasha disturbing her means he had failed to deliver the soup.

And it's already nine in the evening.

Gathering her blanket around her shoulders, she padded to the door and swung it open furiously, revealing Yasha's bewildered face as she merely stomped past him and headed straight downstairs to the kitchen where sure enough, the undelivered tray sat innocently on the kitchen counter. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she went and reheated the remaining soup in the pot, pacing back and forth as she waited for the damn thing to start boiling.

"Why haven't you informed me sooner?" she snapped when Yasha came in. "What took you an hour?"

"He-hey, chill, Mizuki!" Yasha said, backing away from her with his palms up. "Why are you so concerned whether that brat has eaten or not?"

"Is there something wrong with that?" she retorted and when her fellow guard shook his head, she said, "Then don't ask."

After a few more minutes, the tofu soup was ready and she got a new bowl. She gave the cold one to Yasha with orders to consume it while she went upstairs to deliver Akashi his late dinner.

"What's up with that girl?" Yasha wondered as he hunted for chopsticks. "She's like a yandere and a tsundere all rolled into one with the way she's acting. Well, either way, Kurei will surely find this interesting."

— **o — x — o —o0o— o — x — o —**

When the door to his study opened all of a sudden, Akashi was about to go berserk at the idiot that dared to disturb him. Can't they understand that he's freakin' busy?

However, when he looked up to see who the intruder was, he was certainly most surprised.

"Mizuki...?"

The one who barged into his room without permission was none other than the chartreusette, dressed in her usual black nightgown with her soft blue blanket covering her bare shoulders. To his surprise, she had a tray in her hands which she placed down on the coffee table. Uncovering the bowl, the scent of his favorite tofu soup permeated the air, and only then did Akashi remembered that he had forgotten dinner once again.

And she had brought him his dinner.

Again.

"Eat up before it gets cold. I'll do what I can with those mounds of paper while you stuff yourself."

She was already in front of his desk, already reaching out for the papers when he caught her hand in his. She tried to pull it back but Akashi's grip was tight.

"Mizuki, why are you doing this?"

Akashi's tired eyes bored into hers, and Mizuki couldn't look away. She was surprised to see him pained greatly when she pushed him away. Mizuki had hoped that sooner or later, he will lose interest in the unique creature named 'Fujiwara Mizuki' if she could just push him far enough, but sadly, it wasn't the case.

There came the guilty feeling again.

"I'm not having you die on my watch — especially if the reason was mere starvation and exhaustion. That would just be plain stupid."

Ah, yes, lying would be the most easy way out. Akashi probably wouldn't know—

He pulled her to him and Mizuki's other hand slammed into the desk to keep her from falling completely. "I know you're lying."

"You don't know everything!" she hissed.

They stared at each other's eyes, trying to get the other to submit, and it was her who backed down first.

"Just eat, Akashi," she said silently, and he freed her hand to go to the other table where his meal awaits, while she stayed where she is and tried to make heads and tails of the mess on his desk that was his paperwork.

And Yasha, who was watching everything outside the window, cannot help but sigh at the their actions.

Way to make everything complicated, eh? Mizuki, who was too good at walking away from anything and anyone and Akashi, who was too tired of having people walk away from him. He shook his head at the thought.

A crazy pair they make to be.

* * *

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	23. Chapter 23

—**o—o—oOo—o—o—**

**A CRIMSON OATH**

**-o-O-oOo-O-o-o-**

**CHAPTER XXIII**

—**o—o—oOo—o—o—**

Akashi is like a fallen angel in the dim light of the lamplight, but on closer inspection, his face actually looks tired, troubled. Akashi looks tired lately — more tired than she has ever seen him before, his lips a bit paler, the furrow of his brows now more pronounced. It certainly is a bit disconcerting given that the redhead is almost as good as her when it comes to masking emotions, especially those that expresses vulnerability. In his waking hours, Akashi is sharp and cold as a knife's blade, yet when he's asleep, he—

Mizuki shook her head. Her grip on the blanket tightened.

He's almost painful to look at, because there's an indescribable feeling in the pit of Mizuki's stomach as she watches him from a safe distance across his desk, her breathing soft as if the simple act will wake him up. She knows Akashi won't make a fuss if it were to happen as he won't mind it if it was her, and at this, the girl's lips formed into a bitter smile as she thought of how easily the redhead trusted her.

Maybe I should wake him up, but then again, Mizuki preferred Akashi asleep than conscious. It would be better if he was to sleep in a proper bed than sleeping here in the study with his head resting on his folded arms on top of the wooden table. He'll have a stiff neck at this rate, but she would rather have him complain of that than ask her about her sudden indifference to him since that summer night at the villa.

That and she doesn't want him to touch her. Or maybe it's because she doesn't want her to touch him. Her bloodstained hands should not be allowed to hold someone like him for fear that he'll be stained as well. It's not enough reason, maybe, but she has no plans on explaining it to him when she herself doesn't know exactly why.

She's probably overthinking things again, and she feels her fingernails bury in the soft skin of her palm. She sighed softly and moved to put the blanket around Akashi's shoulders. As she cleared his desk, she wondered how long has it been since the heir had drifted off to sleep. Judging from the time — 2:06 AM — it seems that he had lost track of time again, now that he no longer had someone to remind him of it. To Akashi, there are more important and pressing things than sleep and despite his intelligence, sleep was never on his priority list even if it was one of life's necessities.

She was reaching for the folder near his arm when his eyelids fluttered, signaling his return to consciousness, and her hand froze in place as a small yawn escaped his lips. Raising his head, his eyes finally open to find Mizuki within reach, golden eyes glowing amber in the light.

"...What time is it?" Akashi asks in a low voice, his words a bit slurred from sleep, and the spell breaks and Mizuki jerks her hand away before he grabs it again like he did that night a few weeks ago. When she did not answer right away, his gaze fixed itself on her person before she clears her throat.

"Two in the morning."

Akashi closes his eyes in thought and slowly opens them after a few seconds. "What brings you here at this time of night?"

Her breath catches as she warily returned the files on the desk.

"I was just passing by," she murmured, then turned to the door. "I'm leaving then. If you want to sleep, then do it in your room, or at the very least, use the couch."

Halfway out the room, Akashi called her name and she stopped and slowly turned her head to look at him with a questioning gaze.

"Stay."

"I'm your bodyguard, not your dog," she snaps, and once again made to move to the exit, until Akashi surprised her again with his next word.

"Please."

With her back to him, Akashi failed to see her eyes widen noticeably. Mizuki scoffs and clenches her fist as she said mockingly, "It's not like you to beg."

"Well, it's not like I can threaten or command you to do so. As you have told me, threats do not work on you nor are you my dog." And in a quieter voice he added, "I never intend to treat you like that."

Mizuki lets out a bemused laugh. "Do you need me to sing you to sleep, then?"

"No."

She takes a deep breath and looks at him, face kept carefully blank. "Then what is it?" And even though Akashi walks over to stand in front of her, she willed herself to stay put and meet his gaze bravely, even if it was taking all of her courage not to look away. Dodging bullets was far easier than this, she concludes.

"We need to talk."

"We don't," Mizuki objects softly, averting her eyes to the side and to the floor.

"Why not?"

"Because there is nothing to say to—" and here she was cut off when Akashi grabs her shoulders and shakes them, his sudden action causing the blanket to fall off his shoulders and into the floor uselessly. Akashi takes in her wide eyes and slightly opened mouth as she stared at him wordlessly.

"Why are you avoiding me?" he whispers, piercing red and gold trying to fathom the depths of her twin golden orbs.

With narrowed eyes, she tells him through gritted teeth, "I am not avoiding you."

However, Akashi asks her again. "You're afraid, aren't you?"

"That's not true," she protests. "I am not afraid of anything or anyone, not even death."

Akashi stares at her for a long moment, still not letting go of her shoulders, and brings his face closer to hers. "But you fear for the people around you."

Mizuki stares at him for a long moment and tried to walk away, but his hold only tightens on her bare shoulders and she actually flinched when his nails bit into her skin. Akashi, seeing this, quickly removed his hands off her and his face showed remorse at what he had done to her.

"I'm sorry."

"It's nothing," she mutters with a shake of her head, fighting the urge to rub the spot where his hand had been.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," and once again, Mizuki's breath catches in her throat when he reached out to put his hands on her shoulders, fingers searching for marks.

"You need to stop doing that," she mumbles after a moment's silence.

"What – Oh." Akashi backs away as awkward silence falls between them, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides. "I wasn't thinking."

Mizuki swallowed and said in a flat tone. "You seem to do that a lot whenever I am around."

"Maybe." He looked her straight in the eye, then added, "You confuse me more than anything else. I don't know what to think."

A long period of silence followed Akashi's words, with Mizuki looking like she was a kid lost in a maze, until finally she let out a disbelieving laugh, bitter and sarcastic.

"Then you should be thankful that I am not like the other bodyguards who spends their time breathing down their charge's neck," she singsonged, mocking the redhead before her only to stop short when he raises his hand to her face, softly running it down her cheek. He pauses to tuck her hair behind her ear, then continues downward to raise her chin slightly, exposing the smooth skin of her throat to him, then finds himself leaning forward reducing the distance between them. He feels rather than sees her whole body tense up, ready to jump away any given moment.

"You're afraid of my death, aren't you, Mizuki?"

_How_—

Something flickered in those golden depths but it vanished as fast as it came, replaced by her usual murderous glare.

"Ridiculous," she spat out the words as if they were something vile. She remained in place, though, trapped by the redhead's gentle hold on her chin.

Heh, she heard him chuckle painfully, and she slips out of his arms only to have him in a choke hold with the tip of a knife pressing against Akashi's throat — all this in just a blink of an eye.

"Really now," she murmurs in his ear. Akashi's breath didn't even change its rhythm. "One slash and you'll be dead."

He merely hummed and leaned comfortably in her embrace. "Do what you want then."

She shoved him away at that, the knife vanishing to wherever she hides it, and she picked up the fallen blanket and wraps it around her shoulders again. "Of course, I won't. I was hired to preserve your life, not end it." She moved to the door, then paused. In a softer voice, she added, "Go and get your rest, Akashi. There is still tomorrow." And then she was gone, leaving Akashi staring at the doorway. He lifted a hand to the blanket covering his own shoulders and looked down at the soft material. This act of kindness or those cold, dispassionate words... What was he going to believe in?

_I can't understand you, Mizuki._ Akashi shook his head at his thoughts. No matter how hard he tried, there was no grasping the way her mind works. He can't think of a plausible reason why she reverted back to her cold self. After replaying their last conversation at the villa, Akashi cannot see anything wrong with his words or actions toward her. He had never seen Mizuki as carefree and happy as she had been that day, so why? What made her change?

He sighed and turned to his desk. Mizuki had already cleared it as he slept. How long had she been there with him?

There's no use thinking about it, so Akashi decided to take her advice and went upstairs to his room. He might as well sleep.

—**o—o—oOo—o—o—**

"What the hell have you been doing?!"

_This_— He stared in shock at the surveillance video playing out on the screen. It was dark, but not too dark to see the outlines of the people fighting – five to six men against a masked assailant. The confrontation lasted no longer than five minutes, and it was silent as it was gruesome. He doesn't have to see the color crimson to know that the dark patches forming from underneath the fallen guards' bodies that they were indeed, blood.

The man was confused. _Six highly trained men, just slaughtered like that. Just who—_

"How can you let this happen?" he yelled, unable to stop his anger. "I didn't pay you that much to just someone get inside my mansion and kill half of my guards! What if he decided to go inside and kill me, huh? What are you going to do then, eh?!"

_What noise_, the other man thought. What a noisy lout. He had always thought of the other man as a cowardly, yapping dog who fails at everything he does. True, he may be the owner of one of the largest companies in Japan but the truth is, his company is slowly going bankrupt. After all, the Akashi Corporation has been so active lately that it seems that they are holding the whole of Japan in the palm of their hands. It was foolish of anyone to try and compete with them. _Truly, utterly foolish._

The man shook his head, lustrous obsidian hair falling in front of his lone visible eye, hiding it from view. "The men you hired were all amateurs anyway. In the face of that assassin, they certainly do not stand a chance." _I see you've grown stronger than the last time I saw you_. _You managed to survive in that bloodbath after all. _ "Of course, getting the Akashi heir is not an easy thing to do. Do you think that Akashi Masaomi will allow his son go about unprotected after all those failed attempts of yours?"

"That's why I hired you, isn't it?!" the older man exploded. "If you cannot do the job, just say so, so I can get a replacement sooner!"

An amethyst eye narrowed as he raised his chin in defiance. "Now, now, don't be so hasty... You wouldn't want me on the other side now, do you?"

The man faltered a bit. "Why, you—!"

"Just be patient. And I assure you, I'll have Akashi Masaomi on his hands and knees begging for the life of his son."

The man's temper seemed to calm a bit. "Really? You are telling the truth?"

"Of course, I am. These—" he gestured at the screen, "—are only for show."

"For show―this, you say? My men are dead, damn it..."

"Better them than you, isn't it."

"Of course," the man said shortly. "But you better get him sooner. I can't afford any more deaths."

_Of course you can't,_ the jewel-eyed man sneered inwardly. _Money's hard to come by nowadays, eh?_

"Then I will be patient, as you wish. I just hope that you keep your end."

The man swept out of the room, his gait stormy. He seemed to be in a temper.

The purple-eyed man sneered inwardly again, and closed his one good eye as one of his hands swept his fringe, revealing the black eyepatch hidden underneath his hair.

_Soon, I will capture the heir. And when I do_— he looked at the screen, searching for the masked attacker hidden in the shadows, —_I'll finally have my revenge._

—**o—o—oOo—o—o—**

"Fucking piece of shit," Mizuki muttered through gritted teeth as she clutched her bleeding shoulder. Limping her way to a darkened alley, she bit back a whimper when she accidentally placed her weight on her injured foot. She just had to sprain her ankle, and her target happened to call for back-up, and although she managed to wipe out all of them, she didn't do so without her share of injuries.

"Damn it!" she yelled to the moon in frustration. _Let them hear_, she thought angrily, like a child throwing a tantrum. _Let them at me, and I'll kill every single one of them_. She leaned wearily on the wall and waited for what seemed like an eternity, yet no one came. She slid down and sat on the cold, hard ground, eyes closing in exhaustion, though her senses remained sharp and alert. She lost sense of time, growing dizzier with each passing minute as she lost more blood as her hold loosened on her wounded shoulder, too tired to be bothered to tend to it. She remembered that night when Akashi used his handkerchief to bandage her wound, and she almost smiled if only she let herself to do so. Instead, she clenched her fists and tilted her head up to the skies, gazing tiredly at the moon that seemed to mock her from the heavens. Mizuki sneered at the silver disc through lidded eyes.

Finally, she stood up, though with much effort, almost falling back down on the ground as she willed her legs to walk. She was careful to remain in the shadows, which was almost unnecessary since no one was out on the streets. Everyone but her seemed to be sleeping peacefully and comfortably in their own beds — not that she was complaining though. This was the life she had known and was destined to lead, and after seeing that much blood, that much violence and death and cruelty that was no longer human in its extremes, she doubted that she will be able to live a life like a normal person. There's no way that she can fit in with them.

She was about to sigh, but she caught herself in check. Someone was watching her and she almost stiffened. Her hand went immediately to her gun just as her would-be attacker jumped off his perch and landed with catlike grace a few feet away from her.

"Kurei, you bastard," she hissed, partly annoyed and partly relieved that it was her fellow assassin. Because honestly speaking, she wouldn't be able to fight any longer in her present condition.

The man sighed and walked towards her. "Mizuki, you made us worrie—Mizuki!"

He rushed to her before she hit the ground. A sticky substance coated his arms and he cursed in realization that it was her blood, which for some reason was still flowing freely. Kurei looked at the girl's pale face and noticed the glazed look in her eyes.

Mizuki was going into shock.

"Damn it, Mizuki, stay with me — don't you—" he slapped her face hard enough to wake her up "—don't you dare die on me! Mizuki—hey!"

Her eyelids fluttered slightly and to his relief, golden eyes glared up at him.

"Who said I'm dying?" she whispered painfully, still having her snarky attitude despite her condition. She gasped when Kurei lifted her up in his arms in a bridal carry, a wave of vertigo coming over her. She felt like vomiting though nothing threatened to come out of her mouth.

"Yeah right, you're certainly not dying—" Kurei was saying when her head fell limply against his chest. He started running to where he parked his car at the end of the alley, careful not to jostle her too much. He laid her limp figure in the backseat and reached for his first aid kit underneath.

"Shit," he grunted as he took out the necessary supplies — gauze, bandages, alcohol — and hesitated for a moment before tearing her shirt open. He almost winced when he saw the jagged wound, with blood flowing freely from it.

"Anticoagulants," he murmured to himself as he applied pressure on the wound, wondering just how long she was standing there and just letting her blood flow out like that. After disinfecting the wound, he wrapped it up and covered her up, placing his jacket over her. The bleeding had already stopped, but he still had to sew the wound close and he cannot do that in the cramped confines of his car. He had to get her somewhere he can treat her properly, and the closest he could think of was the Akashi manor.

As he sped through the night, he can't help but think why Mizuki was doing this to herself. Before this, the girl was quick to treat her injuries so that when she returns to the Residence, it would seem like she did her mission effortlessly. That is, until either he or Kazehaya hunts her down and drags her to the medical ward.

He remembered the information relayed to him by his blonde partner. Okay, more like gossip about the happenings inside the manor. He sighed. Everything had been going smoothly until summer vacation started. He wondered what had happened in the summer villa where Akashi held his team's training camp, and why Mizuki suddenly left them and continued her guard in the shadows. Something must have been said or done that made her distance herself from Akashi, to close herself up again when it had been so close for her to trust the redhead, and yet, cold and callous she may be to her charge, she still cared. Before, it was easy for Mizuki to walk away from everything and everyone, yet with the Akashi heir, there seemed to be shackles that ties him to her, an anchor weighing her down. Maybe —

_She was afraid_, Kurei realized. _She was afraid for Akashi, that's why-that's why she was running away. Or at least, she was trying to. But failing miserably._

"Mizuki, you idiot," he murmured. They passed through the gates, the guard letting them in without asking, and for that, he was grateful. He didn't bother parking his car but merely stopped in the driveway just in front of the huge double doors that lead to the main hall. Carrying Mizuki in his arms, he rang the doorbell and waited impatiently to be let in, until Akashi, already dressed for sleep, pulled the door open for him.

—**o—o—oOo—o—o—**

Saturday evenings meant having the manor all to himself, and Akashi was thankful for that. Not that he has something against the servants, mind you. However, the past few months, Akashi gets annoyed when the weekend comes around. Before Mizuki decided to be the cold, insensitive assassin around him, he actually looked forward to and enjoyed the weekends they spent together. Even though most of that time was spent holed up in his study doing endless paperwork, he didn't mind it as long as Mizuki was there with him, acting like his secretary of some sort — deciding for both of them when to stop working, when to eat, what to eat, what to do when staring at the laptop monitor seemed too tiring already, when breaking the pen seemed to be very tempting to do —

The buzzing of the doorbell cut off his train of thought. He frowned as he checked the time.

Mizuki?

His frown deepened as he remembered that the girl never uses the doorbell but climbs to her room and enters via the window, just like a ninja.

An intruder?

But what kind of intruder would be polite enough to ring the doorbell?

What if it was a trap?

The doorbell rang again, and Akashi decided to just get it and answer the damn door. Mizuki was not in her room, and Akashi had no way of knowing if she had really gone off to somewhere or she was just skulking around the manor or the grounds, doing patrol work, perimeter checks — or was she just that keen on avoiding him?

"What an impatient person," he muttered as he made his way down the main stairway. Whoever it was outside the door seemed to have taken a fascination for the doorbell button. Taking hold of one of the brass doorknobs, he pulled the door open, and everything he was about to say disappeared from his tongue when he took in the sight before him.

"Good evening, Akashi-kun," was all Kurei told him before letting himself in, the unconscious chartreusette in his arms as he crossed the receiving room and took the steps two at a time, heading for Mizuki's room that was just beside Akashi's. The redhead stood frozen for a few seconds before closing the door and chasing after the copper-haired man.

He barged into Mizuki's room just in time to see Kurei taking off the chartreusette's blouse.

"What do you think you're doing?!" he half-shouted, but Kurei continued his actions, only sparing a flat look at the baffled heir who was staring at him with mixed emotions.

"Stop— What happened to her?" Akashi asked in horror as the wound was revealed to him, though he did not look at anything else past her shoulders.

"Hell if I know. I came upon her on a dark alley, shouting at the moon." He cleaned her wound and prepared the needle and thread. His voice was casual as he asked the redhead, "What happened at the villa?"

Akashi cocked his head at him. _Of all the time to ask him that — why now? Why not last month? Or August? Or right after Mizuki reverted back to the person he first met in that dark room where he was held captive? Why now? _

"You already know," he replied, seeing the knowing look in the man's russet eyes.

Kurei hummed in confirmation as he began to stitch up her wound. He paused when Akashi asked if he wasn't going to use anesthesia, to which he replied with a shake of his head.

"She's unconscious, and I don't have anesthesia."

"I'll go get—"

"Akashi-kun, I appreciate your concern for Mizuki but your concern is not needed. She—" he pointed at the chartreusette "—is not a fragile glass doll that breaks easily. She's a toughened warrior, and must be treated as such."

Akashi glared at him. "I know. I know that Mizuki can kill people as easy as disposing garbage. I know she has high pain tolerance. I know, but that doesn't mean that one shouldn't express concern over her."

Kurei poked the needle through Mizuki's soft skin as easily as knife on butter. Pulling it through the other side, he shrugged. "Then you should have realized why she was keeping away from you." An accusing look came in his eyes, though his eyes were fixed on his patient.

"What do you mean by that?" Akashi spat with venom in his voice. This man is annoying him the more he spoke like he knew Mizuki inside and out.

_What if he does?_

"I'm surprised you don't know, Akashi-kun. It's simple, really. You make her weak."

"I don't—" Akashi wanted to protest but Kurei had more to tell him.

"You coddle her too much. You confuse her by making her feel all those emotions — emotions that should have never awakened after she made herself forget about them, that those kinds of feelings exist. You made her break her own beliefs, you made her question her own self, given her false hopes. Should I list them all down for you?"

"You don't know what you're saying," Akashi challenged, though deep inside him, he was confused as well. Did I really do all that to her? Was making her feel human a bad thing to do? Was it all a big mistake?

As the heterochromatic-eyed boy fell silent, deep in his own thoughts, Kurei finished patching up Mizuki and turned to leave after putting away the used medical supplies. He was almost out the door when Akashi called out to him in mild panic, which made him laughed inwardly.

"You're not done yet," Akashi said, glaring daggers at him.

"Hmm? Her wound is all stitched up. I'm tired so will you do me a favor and tuck her in?"

"Wha—"

The door closed shut with an audible click that somehow sounded like a death knoll in Akashi's ears. He gave chase again but somehow, Kurei was nowhere to be found when he looked down the hallway outside.

"Great," he said to himself sarcastically. "Just...great." He took a deep breath and went back in, because no matter how much he wanted to leave, he just can't leave her like that even though she was just inside her own room. Besides, all he had to do was button up her shirt and cover her with a blanket, right?

Sounds easy enough, but why was he biting the inside of his lip nervously?

He forced his legs to take him beside her bed, and reached out for her collar with shaking hands.

It's not like I haven't seen her in this state before, he reasoned, recalling their first day in the villa, then realized that had someone heard him say that out loud, chances are high that they might get the wrong idea — something along the lines of —

"The hell are you doing to me, Akashi?"

He jerked backwards but one of his wrists was caught in Mizuki's grip, albeit a weak one, but it was enough to freeze him in his ground. When she tried to sit up, he was spurned to action as he held her uninjured shoulder down to keep her from moving so as not to reopen her wound when he felt her flinch at the contact and slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me, you—!"

"Seriously, Mizuki, do you think so lowly of me?" he retorted as he threw the blanket all over her, getting mad at her for assuming that he was taking advantage of her. She sputtered then winced when the pain of her injury finally itself known to her, and clamped a hand over her wound.

"You shouldn't move around too much."

"Tsk," she rolled her eyes then as if to prove her point, she got off the bed and went to her closet to grab a new shirt, shedding her ruined shirt with her back to Akashi, and putting on the new one with concealed effort.

"Do you— Do you just change clothes in front of other people?" Akashi sighed, though he quickly turned the other way when he realized what she was about to do.

"Ho~ Maybe, maybe more... Do you really want to know?" she answered with a smirk, a bit strained from the soreness in her body, not to say that she was actually starting to feel dizzy. Must be from the blood loss, she thought as her vision started to dim. She took a step towards her bed, only to have her knees buckle under her. She fell, her knees on the carpet, and a hand went to her mouth when she felt like she was about to puke from the nausea. She heaved.

"Mizuki!" Akashi was beside her in a flash, and the worried look in his sharp eyes hurt her to look at it. His strong arms went around her as he helped her up and into the bed. They sat side by side, his hand rubbing her back soothingly, her head leaning on his chest, as he admonished her for her defiant behavior. "You just don't listen to me, do you? I told you not to move!"

Akashi didn't know why he was getting so angry at her. His voice was sharp as he reprimanded her about her stubbornness, and —

"Do you think you're invincible?! You're not —"

Akashi froze when he felt her gasp. He pulled away to see what was wrong with her and was surprised to see tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Mizuki, does it hurt? Let me see if you reopened your wound." His voice suddenly turned soft and quiet.

"Sorry..." she said weakly. She almost flinched when her voice quivered. Her shoulder hurts, her head hurts, her heart hurts — everything hurts. Mizuki wanted to tell him to shut up and leave her alone, but instead that word came out of her lips — her traitorous lips. She does not even understand why she wanted to apologize — was it because she made him worry? For disobeying him? For crying in front of him?

"What?"

Mizuki bowed her head, her fingers clutching the front of his shirt, forehead pressed against his shoulder bone.

"I said I'm sorry..." she choked out. "I am... I'm sorry... Akashi..."

For the first time in his life, Akashi doesn't know what to do. How do you even comfort a crying girl?

And what was she apologizing for?

"Hey, Mizuki, it's alright... Hush now..."

Akashi just continued murmuring comforting words, trying to make her stop while his hand patted her back awkwardly until finally, her head fell limply on his chest, and her breathing evened out in a soft yet steady rhythm. She had fallen back to sleep.

He released her hair from its ponytail, and gently laid her on the bed, tucking her in just like Kurei asked him to do. He stayed in her room for a long time until he himself felt sleepy from looking at her from the foot of her bed. Akashi stood up to leave, checked her windows if they were locked, and closed the curtains.

"Good night, Mizuki," he murmured, and turned off the lights.

—**o—o—oOo—o—o—**

Mizuki woke abruptly when she unconsciously shifted her body while she was sleep, lying on her injured side. She sat up in bed, holding her shoulder. It was troublesome, really, for the wound hurt more than it should, and she suspected that some kind of chemical was applied on the blade of the knife that had stabbed her, making her more sensitive to pain.

It was already light outside, and Mizuki gathered enough strength to get out of bed and stand by the window as she gazed out to the green fields beyond. The trees on the horizon was aflame in hues of red, orange, and yellow as the sun rose behind them. So lost was she in her thoughts that she failed to hear the knocking on her door.

"Mizuki...?" Akashi let himself in, a breakfast tray in his hands, expecting to see the girl still asleep but when he saw that the bed was empty, he almost panicked until he saw her staring blankly out her window.

He placed the tray on her bedside table and clicked his tongue.

"Mizuki."

This time, she turned to face him, though she was quick to hide the surprise from showing on her face. Memories of last night popped into her mind and she took a step back, warily eyeing Akashi as if expecting him to do something rash.

What now? How can she look at Akashi in the eyes now — now that she had shown him such weakness, such vulnerability?

"You should be in bed right now," Akashi said as he approached her. Mizuki stopped him by sending him a cold glare.

"Why are you doing this, Akashi?"

Again with that question. He sighed. What's with Mizuki and her need for explanations?

"Do I have to tell you again?"

"Don't answer my question with another question."

"Then don't ask such a stupid thing."

Their eyes met, and both narrowed their eyes at the other.

"Am I making you afraid, Mizuki?" Akashi then asked, taking another step and backing her to the window.

"I'm not afrai—"

"Then why are you retreating?"

The girl inhaled sharply. "I'm not —"

Akashi grabbed her wrist, holding her in place. His touch seemed to paralyze her, pinning her with his shattered gaze.

_"Liar."_

—**o—o—oOo—o—o—**

"It's not, damn it!" Mizuki hissed as she parried a blow from a smirking Yasha before rolling away to dodge a punch from a very amused Kurei. It was another boring weekend for the three, so there they were in the Akashi dojo, trying to beat each other to a pulp.

Or rather, Kurei and Yasha trying to beat Mizuki into telling them just what exactly was going on between her and Akashi.

"Do you love him, then?" Yasha teased, going for the side of her face but only managed to land a glancing blow which the girl barely acknowledged.

"The hell, Yasha!" Mizuki tried to kick the laughing blonde in the stomach but Kurei was there to block it. She jumped back to put some distance from the pair, and resumed her ready stance. "You're getting annoying, you know," she grumbled with narrowed eyes, waiting for anyone to launch the first attack. Her arm hurt from the punch Kurei had given her earlier, while her hip hurt from being thrown on the floor by Yasha.

Yasha lunged at her, restraining her arms by twisting them behind her. Thinking fast, she hooked her leg on the back of Yasha's knee, making him kneel down and she elbowed him in the face. However, she had barely freed herself when Kurei took over, and she found herself facedown on the floor.

And it was in that position that Akashi stumbled upon them in the dojo, with Mizuki struggling against Kurei with a laughing Yasha on the side.

"What is going on here?" he asked, and the three suddenly became sober, though Yasha's shoulders were trembling slightly. His eyes went to the chartreusette. "Mizuki, are you alright?"

"Oi, he's asking if you're alright," Yasha said when she didn't answer, poking her in the side as he did so.

"Tsk. What do you think?" Mizuki grumbled and turned her head away from Akashi, the faintest of blushes on her cheeks.

"Ahaha~ Mi-chan's blushing!" Yasha squealed like a rabid fan girl and Kurei loosened his hold on her to look at her face.

"You're right! Mizuki's cheeks are red!"

"Shut up, you two!" she growled but the two only laughed harder.

Yasha poked her cheek. "Aww, don't be shy, Mi-chan..."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Are you supposed to be sparring already, Mizuki? Your shoulder is still not fully healed," Akashi said, a slight worry in his tone.

"Don't worry about me," she snapped. She escaped Kurei's hold on her and went out of the dojo. As she passed by Akashi, she ignored him completely even when he called her name.

"She'll come out of it, Akashi," Kurei said after a moment. They, too, were leaving the dojo. "And perhaps you will think about what I told you that night."

—**o—o—oOo—o—o—**


End file.
